Mirror Image
by Vixen279
Summary: Steph has the life her mother wanted her to have, but for how long? Starts out a Cupcake but will not stay that way. Let me know what you think. BABE HEA.
1. Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny fall day outside. The wind was blowing the trees with their multi-colored leaves. The sounds of children playing hide and seek or kickball was heartwarming to any parent in the cul-de-sac where I live, but not to me. My four children are bullies that take after their father and there is nothing I can do about it because I have no power in my own home. They know that any punishments I try to give out are quickly overruled by my husband.

I do the cooking, the cleaning and the washing of all the clothes. I smile fake smiles at bake sales and PTA meetings. None of these women are my friends. I don't have time for friendships, anyway. I am the perfect stay at home wife in Pittsburg. I still live in a Burg town and we have been here for 14 years. Besides visits for Christmas and Thanksgiving, I never hear of anything that goes on back home. It hurts less if I don't know.

Not being able to put it off any longer, I get up and look into the mirror in the bathroom. A 41 year old has been. I see crow's feet, sad, lackluster eyes, a boring face and no smile. I never really smile anymore. My hair is not wild anymore, either. It is just as lifeless as I feel. I only wear makeup to cover bruises.

I sigh and put makeup on my cheek to cover the bruise that is forming there. It was my own fault for asking to have a part time job at the library. The library for God's sake! I just wanted to feel like a person again, to have something of my own. I thought it would be a safe request, after all no one really comes to the library and there would be kids there and not much talking.

His hand had flown faster than the time it took me to finish the sentence. He had growled that if I could not make do with my household allowance, then maybe I should stop getting my hair and nails done. It was always like this. I would ask for something and Joe would either bark a quick no, or he would hit me and tell me the reason I could not have it was somehow my own fault.

People always say that abuse was a gradual process and they would apologize and then it was too hard to leave. That did not happen to me. Joe has been abusive since we got together. He was verbally abusive in public and in private he would shove me and be rough with me. I never felt good enough and one day when my mother told me Joe was my last chance, I took a hard look at my life and realized she was right. He was my last chance to have the kind of life she has, but I never wanted that life. I let her browbeat me into submission because I missed HIM. He was on a mission and he was not around to remind me that he was proud of me. He was not around to smile at me and tell me to call him if I needed him.

Once I said yes to Joe, he took a transfer to Pittsburgh and we moved within a month. We were married quickly and I was pregnant immediately. I did not even get to name my four boys. At least after the fourth one Joe stopped wanting to have sex with me. I hope he has a mistress. If this is the life other women of the Burg live, no wonder they don't care about cheating. They probably encourage it just to get a break from the inconsiderate sex they have to endure. I have dawdled here long enough. Dinner needs to be made and there is laundry to do. I say the same thing to myself over and over in my mind. What if? What if I was not such a coward and I made better choices for myself back then? I would give anything to go back to when I first met HIM. I trip over several toys and fall down the stairs. Is this how I die, I wonder as the blackness comes over me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for reading. I just thought of a new twist I could write and this is the result. Please let me know your thoughts.**

 **Steph POV**

I wake up to another nightmare, but out of self preservation I do not open my eyes. God, even in death this woman nags me. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, you need to wake up. I am starting to think you are doing this for attention. It has been three weeks!" What has been three weeks? Oh good, she keeps nagging.

"You have been in a coma since the accident with the meat truck. You will be happy to know that Joseph was exonerated and your father said that Vincent is giving you the fees you earned for the capture or whatever it is called." What?

"Now you can move out of that horrible apartment and get some respectable clothes." He was supposed to pay me you harpy! I am moving out, but not like she thinks. Is this hell?

"I have taken the liberty of telling Vincent that you quit. I invited Joseph over to dinner when you are feeling up to it." Thank you, and I do want to quit. I have plans of taking a different job. Nope I am not spending my death on Joe Morelli. Having him in my life already killed me once. No thank you.

"He is a police detective and he would make a fine addition to the family. I heard from Valerie and she is doing just fine with her husband and two girls. When will you realize that you could be just as happy? I am willing to forgive you for that scandal with Richard. I guess you will just have to try harder this time."

She has some nerve! Is this real? Could I have wished and it came true? Wow, if I am at a point in my life where it is just after I captured Joe; that is great! How would this be possible? She is still droning on.

"The doctors said nothing is wrong with you that they could find, but maybe you have a concussion or something. I am leaving. I will be back to visit you tomorrow, Stephanie. If I am not home by dinner time, your grandmother will wear an outlandish outfit and embarrass me." The door opens and closes.

Suddenly, I feel like an electric surge in the room and I could smell Christmas cookies. I felt a body next to me and my hand is taken. "I know you are awake, Steph." I open my eyes and see Diesel. "How is this possible, Diesel?" He smiles sadly.

"I watched over you, little one and saved your life a few times when the beatings got too bad. I finally got the approval to give you a do over. You have to promise me that you will not make those horrible choices again and that you will never give up." Oh my god!

"What about people I could help because I know what could happen to them?" He shakes his head.

"You can only change your own life. You may give hints to people, but you cannot tell them about this. I gotta go, but I will be watching you. You are stronger than you think, Steph. Do not give up like that again. Company's coming." As suddenly as he came, he was gone.

I felt a tingle and I could smell Bulgari. Ranger was here. He stood by the bed and stared at me. "Should I get the doctors, Babe?" I shake my head and try to fight back tears, but they roll down my face anyway.

He approaches and hands me a tissue from the box on the nightstand. "Can I see a mirror?" He hands me one out of the bathroom and I look at myself. I look like me again and I am younger. Of course, dummy! More tears run down my face. I take another tissue. Ranger looks nervous. Get yourself together, Stephanie! He starts talking.

"I came to see you this morning, but you were asleep. The doctors said you were restless, Babe. How are you feeling?" I smile at him. Oh, he is gorgeous. I try to remember how close we were at this point before, and I recall that it was not very. We had a kiss and some flirtation and he had rescued me from the shower. I don't care. I am doing this differently.

"I feel okay, Batman. Do not call the doctors in yet, please. Why are you visiting me so often?" He smiles.

"Babe." Nope I was not letting him get away with that any more.

"Tell me Batman." He smiles a tiny little bit.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright and I wanted to congratulate you on bringing in Morelli. Vinnie says you quit, but you were unconscious at the time, so I wanted to check with you. If you quit, you do not need my help anymore." What? I would always need him.

"Actually, Ranger, I did not quit, but I think that bounty hunting is not for me." He frowns a little, so I keep talking.

"I really liked the mystery, you know? I found that I enjoyed putting together clues and doing research. I am surprisingly good at that. I did not enjoy the shooting or the threats and all of that, but the research side of it was fun and I am a people person. I should do something with my degree." His smile is back. Well, his version of a smile. He moves closer to me.

"Babe, maybe I can still train you, but you would not be a BEA anymore. Would you consider working and doing research for my company?" I hold in my squee. I stare at him and take his hand.

"What are the benefits?" I pretend to play hardball. He holds my hand in his for a long moment then lets go.

He goes to the door and comes back. He sits next to the bed and hands me a bag. Oh my Lord. He brought me Ella food.

"I brought you dinner. The doctors said your restlessness was a sign that you would wake up soon. I know hospital food is horrible." He hands me chicken noodle soup and bread while he eats a grilled chicken salad. I moan at how good the homemade soup is and he just stares at me.

"Babe." Heh heh. I know this means, please stop turning me on.

"Besides food, the job pays well and there is a company car, physical training, you must carry a gun and there are apartments in the building, Babe." You forgot you, Batman.

He smiles wider. "I did not forget me, Babe. I am glad you consider me a benefit." I just laugh. I had learned to stop speaking my thoughts a long time ago with Joe. It feels so good to be me again.

"Of course I consider you a benefit, Batman. So, can I call you Ricky?" He laughs out loud this time.

"Babe, my sisters call me Ricky. You can call me Carlos, though. I would like that." We stare at each other until a throat is cleared.

Tank steps into the room. "Yo, Rangeman, her granny is here. The guys said she is in the lobby talking to people and she will be up here soon. I am not getting groped again, man. Hello, Miss Plum. It is nice to see you awake." I smile at the gentle giant. Tank is a big softy deep down.

I wave." Thanks for watching the door, Tank. Please do not tell people I am awake. I need to have an exit strategy before my mother comes back." He nods and closes the door.

I turn back to Ranger. "Fine, I will take the job, the apartment and I will call you Carlos. I desperately need to get out of here before the end of the night. I want to change my phone number as well. If you do your magic and help me with this, I will owe you." He just smiles at me.

"So you are saying that you will work for me, you want me to help you move and you want me to kidnap you from the hospital, Babe and you will owe me a favor?" Yup.

I nod at him. "Yes. I will wash your cars or walk your dogs or do your taxes or something." He laughs out loud again.

"Babe, I have people who do those things. I don't have any dogs. You can help me by going to dinner at my parent's house this weekend with me. If you go, then Mama will not match make for me and you can meet my sisters and tell them you saw me laugh. They tell me I am turning into a robot."

Wow, a chance to meet his family and he smiles at me so much! How did I miss this before? Oh, right. The asshat paid attention to me and I thought that was what I wanted. No more Stupid Stephanie.

"Does your mother cook with guilt?" He grinned and ate more of his salad.

"Yes, but her tres leche cake is worth it. I can make a few calls, Babe, but you will need to tell people the deal or it will just stir up more problems." He was right. I will tell my mother and father at the same time.

"Thanks. You better leave so Gram can visit with me. Maybe she would like my apartment. I don't want the furniture. I just want my clothes and shoes and pictures. I am so glad you came to see me, Carlos. I don't even know what day it is right now or where my purse and all of that is."

He tucks a curl behind my ear and kisses my forehead. "I am glad I came to see you, too. Ella made me come every day or she would not cook for the guys. I thought I should stay away and wait, but she said nonsense, and that you are my friend. Am I your friend, Babe?" He is adorable like this. I don't know what it is about hospitals, but apparently they make Batman loquacious. I laughed a little thinking about Ranger being a Chatty Cathy.

I smile. "Yes, I am your friend, Carlos. Think about getting a dog." He grins at me and shakes his head.

"Now chop chop. I will let you rescue me from here tonight and maybe you can show me how to run more than a few blocks without losing a lung." He laughed again and cleaned up our trash.

"I will be back later, Babe. Take care until then." Wow. Is this really happening? Why didn't I ever just talk to him like he was a person before? Well, I did, but by the time I got really comfortable with him, I was all tied up in Morelli. I cannot stand that man, especially since I know what he becomes. No thank you.

The door closes and I hear a yelp and then it opens with a flourish to show Gram. I was so thrilled to see her! I know she will help me with my plans. She notices my eyes are open and she rushes across the room. This was gonna be great.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own JE's characters. I like playing with them, though.**

 **Thanks so much for all of your messages. I will continue on with this story. I am not sure what will happen, yet, but it will have a Babe HEA. Those are my favorite.**

 **Ranger POV**

I would be the first person to admit that Ella was right. She nags but in a different way than Mama. She would call me every morning, even today and tell me to get up and go visit that nice girl that got in the accident catching the bad guy.

Ella only works for me so she can watch over me. I am her favorite she claims. Tia Ella does spoil me, and she listens when I need to talk. She says that I should open up more or I will become empty inside. The main reason I even helped Babe in the first place was because Ella made me go. She said I could not send Lester.

I can only imagine what would have happened. He would have slept with her, and then he would have done the capture for her and she would have felt helpless and like a cast off. Lester is not looking for a permanent woman at this time. Whoa. I made it sound like I am. Well, maybe. My life is dangerous at times. I don't want to put the ones I care about in harm's way.

Babe was so upbeat today. I loved the way she smiled at me. She is usually so guarded around me like I am a grenade that might go off. She also seemed deadly serious about moving out of her apartment and working with us. I am very willing to help her. I am glad she admitted she needed the help. I just have to face Ella and the guys. I will do the confrontation with Ella first.

I knock on her door and she opens it and pulls me inside while babbling about the family dinner this weekend and how Abuela Rosa will be there and I need to stop being all closed off and spend time with family. I let her go on for five minutes while I sit patiently making notes on a legal pad I picked up.

"Ricardo, you are not wincing or giving me your usual excuses. What is going on? How was your friend? What are your writing?" I look up and smile at her.

"Tia Ella, my friend woke up. She loved your soup and bread very much. I am hiring her and she has agreed to move in here. I need you to get an apartment on this floor ready. I do not want her on the 4th floor with the guys. It is like a frat house down there and my apartment takes up the whole 7th floor." She gasps.

"Will you be able to do that? She hates floral patterns and she hates orange. She loves your food and she wants a puppy. I might get her one." I smile again at the thought of her being my dog walker.

"I am thinking of having her doing the sales meetings because people are so intimidated by our size and she can learn searches and doing background checks. She is good at solving a mystery. I invited her to dinner with the family this weekend and she said yes." I stop talking because Tia Ella is on the phone. Who is she talking to?

"Tia!" She whispers some more and hangs up, then she comes over and hugs me tightly.

"Ricardo, I am proud of you! I know it was not easy to worry about your friend and to visit her every day like that. I pushed you because when you talked about her before, your face would light up. This is a good thing and even when Lester teases you, do not go back to being like a robot. I miss the little boy I used to make churros for." I shake my head at her antics.

"Tia, I am not approving churros for the break room. Maybe you can keep it healthy, but have more variety. Do not go crazy." She claps her hands excitedly.

"Will you help me to get the large apartment ready for her and stock it with things a woman needs? She does not want any of her furniture, so you can do what you like with the décor. You have until about 10pm. Get whoever you want to help you." She beams at me.

"Your mother is looking forward to seeing you, Ricardo. You know she worries. Tell Woodrow and Manuel to go and get her clothes so I can check the sizes and buy some things for her. I am thinking capri pants and nice stretchy button downs and cute skirts. Go away. I have things to do. Luis!" I escape while she starts her plans. It is 3pm, but I need to hurry.

I go to my office and start to type up her job description. I already have all of her information because I robbed her and took her purse. I had to get it away from her harridan of a mother. That plus the information on her background check made it easy to back date her hire date one month. Now she will have health insurance.

Once the email is sent to Marco in HR, I make some notes. I call Hal and Cal in to help me with redoing the office between mine and Tank's. It is about the same size and it has couches. Bobby took one look at it and said hell no. He likes being situated near the infirmary. Plus he still does the occasional shift at St. Francis'. Lester said he wanted to be with the guys in the cubicles. I will not put Babe out there. The guys will not get any work done. Hal and Cal had their assignments. Now for the hard part.

I approached him warily and speak in Spanish. "Hello, Hector." He nods at me and goes back to whatever gadgets he is putting together. "Listen, Hector. I have hired Stephanie and she will be here in one of the 6th floor apartments tonight." He just stares at me.

"Here is her bag. I took it from the room. Please get her paperwork together, passport, birth certificate, all of that. Please use the discretionary account to clear her debt. Once you have everything, please give it to Ella, including the bag. I will assign her a car from the fleet. I want her to have a necklace for her tracker. Get her one with a butterfly on it." He just raises an eyebrow at me.

"I want her to have choices and to be able to live without the past dragging her down. She has her fees from her captures. Change her bank, too, Hector. I will explain it all to her tomorrow. Do you have any questions?" He smiles at me finally.

"I want a chocolate fudge cake and the day off tomorrow." What? I look around to see who heard him.

"Hector, you know the rules. We do not eat cake." He puts the purse and the papers down and goes back to his previous activity. I just stare at him and he ignores me.

Hector knew I needed him. He was a whiz with documents and technology. He could do all of this in two hours tops. I try glaring at him and he whistles. Come on! I am 29 years old. I do not whine, even to myself. I look at my watch and it is 4pm already. I have to check on Ella again and to call Al. She needs a gun and I want to surprise her with a dog. It would make her smile. Dammit, I growl to myself. I will do this for Babe.

"Fine, Hector. You can tell Ella about the cake. Do not tell the guys or I will never hear the end of it. You can have the day after tomorrow off. Let Tank know, since he does the scheduling. Wear your vest, man." He shakes my hand and I leave his area. Most people would ask for a bonus or something. Hector wanted a cake. He cracks me up. They guys are afraid of him, but he is not a bad guy.

Back in my office, I call Al and he says he will outfit a new car for her. He said to let her have a silver Trailhawk instead of a black escalade. He said she is a woman, not one of the guys and she would need it for her meetings anyway. He promised to put on the bulletproof glass and added features by tomorrow. He asked if I wanted him to order another one just in case and I said yes, but a blue one. He also wants a cake. I sigh and call Ella.

She said to leave her alone because she was trying to talk to Kelly at Sak's who is her personal shopper. She said she will do the cakes if I let the guys have breakfast burritos. I tell her they have to be made with egg whites and that they have to have vegetables. She tells me she loves me and that I should not miss dinner and she will pack dinner for Estefania and to come and get it in an hour with the bag for her and hangs up again. Wow.

I need a shower and I will change. On the way, I call and talk to Manny and Woody. They said that they are almost done and that the rat is not there. Her mother must have taken him. I told them to be like ghosts and to treat it like a mission and they said hoah. I got all the way to my apartment before I turned and asked Tank why he was following me.

"Do you need help?" Wow. He really is my best friend.

I hug him a little. "Tank, I need a puppy for Babe. Where should I go?" He laughs for a whole minute. I decide to take my shower and get dressed while Chuckles gets himself together. When I emerge from my bedroom in dark blue jeans, boot and a pullover light weight tan sweater, Tank is on the phone. He sees me and hangs up.

"Ella wanted to know what color sheets to buy and I told her to get blues and greens. They are soothing colors. The guys are back with her clothes and they are helping Ella to unpack her things. She works fast. She must be running an underground bakery with the guys. If they do not make their fitness checks, I am shutting her down. Tank continues to update me.

"Ella has people bringing more clothes and shoes over within the next hour. I love that woman. She said if I help you, she will bake me some muffins and you cannot say no or she will tell your mother about Steph." I blink at him. I am ignoring all of the food infractions for now because I want to help Babe to be comfortable.

"I need you to get her phone turned off and to get her a new one. Get her one of the good ones since she will be working here and please get her some business cards made. Have it say Client Relations and Research. Now give me the name of the farm or kennel or whatever because I have to go and get the bag from Ella and take Babe her dinner." He hugs me.

"I am glad you are showing some expressions on your face again, man. I know we do serious work here, but you have to live your life. I also know that girl will appreciate what you have done for her. I saw the way she looked at you, too. Take it slow with her." Of course. Wow. Was I interested in more with Babe? Duh. Fine, I will just take it one step at a time.

I gave Tank a fist bump and picked up my jacket on the way to Ella's. She opened the door and shoved a duffle bag and an insulated bag at me and kissed my cheek and slammed the door in my face. I guess she is busy.

Okay, Babe. I am on my way, and you can help me to pick out a puppy yourself. Yes, that would be good. I left the building with Bobby shadowing me this time. He and Lester have been awfully quiet. I am not feeling encouraged by that.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: Thanks for your messages. I will keep this going and I am updating my other stories as well. Thanks for reading!**

 **Stephanie POV**

"Hey baby granddaughter! I see you woke up. Was it by a kiss from The Package? I know I would wake up for him. Yes I sure would." I hold out my arms and we hug. I missed Gram so much. I pull back and smile at her.

"Gram, it is good to see you. Can you get like a notepad and some pens? I need to make some plans and I will tell you the scoop if you promise not to tell Ma. I do not want to be gossiped about. I will tell you the parts to keep a secret. Stop pouting." She gets up and rushes out the door.

I have been thinking about this. I can make changes like getting training and being assertive and being true to myself. I never want to be that dried up and battered version of myself again. Gram comes bustling back into the room.

"Okay, Gram. I am moving out of my apartment. You can have it and I will continue to pay the rent so you can keep your social security." She hugs me.

"Hot damn! Me and the ladies will be able to have our parties and your father will be thrilled. And your uptight mother will be scandalized. Great. I will pack and move tomorrow. Now what else? What is the deal with the Package? I like him way better than that Morelli fool." I love Gram.

"Gram, I am going to stop being a bounty hunter and I am going to work in the office for Ranger at Rangeman. I will live there and I will use my degree. I will not date Joe Morelli. If Ma wants him in the family so badly, she should marry him herself." She shimmies in her seat.

"I know that's right. She is obsessed with that little puissant. I will not ever like him. Ever since he did you wrong at the bakery, I vowed he would not have good luck. Do not date him, baby granddaughter no matter what." I smile at Gram. She has always been in my corner.

"Gram, I want you to remind everyone about the Morelli genes. Tell them all of the Morelli gossip you have and especially tell Shirley. She will tell Eddie and he will tell Carl and Big Dog. Tell them it won't be long before he is drinking and probably sleeping with his little mob Barbie." She nods and writes that down.

"Keep people talking about him negatively, Gram. That way Ma will think twice about foisting that ass on me. Maybe you can call Aunt Beth and tell her to tell Uncle Joe to do an audit of the police officers hours. That will keep Morelli busy." Gram nods again.

"Now, for the fun part of your mission. I want you and your ladies to write things about Morelli in the ladies' rooms around town. Call him hairy and small. Both are very true. Call him a one minute man, Gram. That is one package you do not need to check." She looks gleeful. She has taken a lot of notes.

"So, I can move and I can live there rent free. I can get revenge on Morelli and I can spread true gossip. Wow. You need to hit your head more often, Stephie. But seriously, this sounds like fun. I am on it." She packs up her purse and puts her notes inside.

"I gotta run. Your mother will be looking for me. I got Eunice to drop me off and Gerty is picking me up out front in like fifteen minutes. Call me tomorrow. I am starting the gossip tonight at the funeral home. We will do the bathrooms tonight and tomorrow. We will wear gloves. This is a hoot!" She fixes my pillows and plays with my hair.

"If you are coming to the house, come for lunch. That way she cannot have that man over. Just leave her a note at the nurses' station and call us in the morning, Chicky. See you and maybe you should get your hair done a little brighter. Like highlights. You know what I mean." She hugs me and almost runs out of the room. Gram is hilarious. I love her so much.

There is a knock on the door and Ranger comes back inside with a duffle bag and a food bag. I smile at him. "Hello, Carlos. Are you here to rescue me?"

He smiles back and kisses my forehead. He looks so handsome and smells delicious. I love Bulgari!

"Babe, you have to eat first." He takes out what I am sure is vegetable lasagna, cornbread and he hands me a bottle of cranberry juice.

Wow. Ella must be in a good mood. She told me before that she bakes when she is happy. I know there is cake in that bag. Sue me, I love cake.

"Thank you, Carlos. I missed you." Whoa. Calm down, Steph. Was I too forward? He leans close to me again. Whew.

"I missed you back. You are fun to talk to, Babe. I have been making plans and getting your things moved. Manny and Woody said they agreed to take Mrs. Brestler to bingo if she kept it on the down low that they were helping you to move out of your apartment." I laugh and imagine the guys at bingo.

"They spoke with Dillon and said you did not feel comfortable there and that Edna was moving in. They got the locks changed and they put in a system for your grandmother. Hector is working on the windows." I lean over and take his hand.

"Carlos, thank you so much for all you are doing for me. I will pay you back." I knew he was going to deny it.

"No price, Babe." I finally have an answer to that.

"Yes, there is a price and it is called friendship. For every time you are generous to me, I will agree to be generous to you. Maybe you want to go shopping for gifts for your sisters and need advice or maybe you just want to go running in the middle of the night or you want to watch a scary movie and you need me to hold your hand. It is quid pro quo." He is chuckling at me.

"You are so special, Babe. I will agree to your terms, but I am not afraid of scary movies." I grin at him.

"I meant chick flicks, Carlos. They can be scary to all of you tough guy types." He laughs loudly and bumps shoulders with me. We finish eating and the doctor comes in and I sign a lot of papers, then Ranger signs some papers and I look at him in confusion. "Later, Babe." Fine.

I take the duffle bag and go and change. I absolutely love Ella. There are jeans in my size and a nice hooded blue sweater that matches my eyes. I look in the mirror and I like how alive my eyes appear.

I brush my hair and use some of the hair serum she included. The end result is kind of cute if I do say so myself. My hair is still wild, but now it looks wild on purpose. I put on the boots and I am ready to go. I am still missing my purse.

Back in the room, Ranger is standing beside the bed waiting for me. "Babe, you look beautiful." Geez. I know he likes me, but wow. I just smile and kiss his cheek.

"Thanks, Batman. Tone down the smile. Women all over will be walking into things." He takes the bag and hands me my purse and escorts me out through a side entrance. We leave like secret agents and race to his car like people are chasing us. By the time we are on the road I am giggling like crazy.

Of course, Ranger goes into his driving zone, but ten minutes into the drive, he picks up my hand and holds it whenever he can. I love this! Where is he taking me? I trust him completely, but I am curious. Do I get to see what Ranger usually does on a Thursday?

We are not headed to Newark, so it is not a family visit. We are not headed towards the beach, but it is a fall day, so that is not a good idea anyway. He looks at me and I know he can tell I really want to ask. Fine. "Where are we going, Carlos?" He smiles and kisses my hand.

"It's a surprise, Babe." Dammit! Why is he so adorable and boyfriend acting? It is getting dark. It can't be a date. We pull into a farm that has signs saying they sell puppies. Oh my god! He is letting me have a puppy in the building?! As soon as the car stops, I jump out and run around to his side and when he gets out, I attack him with hugs and kisses all over his face. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

I always wanted a puppy! I am jumping up and down and hugging him like Tigger.

 **Ranger POV**

Babe was so excited to leave the hospital, that she did not even ask why I had her purse. I will get the necklace from Hector when he gets his cake. He was funny. Babe liked that I held her hand and right now she is kissing all over my face. For a puppy. Wow.

Most women would only act like this over jewelry. I pulled her with me to the barn so we could look at the puppies and she raced from one pen to another looking at all of them and talking to them.

I noticed a dark brown puppy followed her around a little and kept the others away from her. These dogs were kind of adorable. I whistled and the puppy came to me and sat at my feet. Babe noticed and walked over and picked it up.

He was a Koda puppy and he looked like a fluffy German shepherd to me. Babe loves him. Oh, he has white around his eyes, which are dark brown as well. She is cooing at it. I wonder what she will name it. She answers that quickly.

"Hello, Max! I am Stephanie, but Batman here calls me Babe. You are adorable but still badass. You can go running with me and call for help when I pass out!" She is so cute. The puppy is laying on her chest like it will go to sleep and she is rocking it back and forth. You lucky little dog. I should tell her about the rat.

"Babe, the guys said the hamster was gone. I think your mother took it." She looks at me and sighs.

"Okay, she can take care of Rex. I have Max now. Isn't he adorable, Carlos!" She hands him to me and goes in search of the people so she can buy him. There is cash in her bag, but I will use my credit card. I catch up to her and I handle the paperwork while she goes back to rocking the puppy.

We learn that Max is the last of his litter and that he was the smallest. Small? He is on the large side for being only 8 weeks old. We find that Max is trained and he has a pedigree.

Babe is buying leashes and bowls and all of that from the store. They give it to her in a crate and recommend that she let the dog roam and not to put him into a crate. She just smiles and shakes their hands and tells me to get the crate so we can take her baby home.

Babe insists that she can hold Max in the front seat and that she will get him a carseat tomorrow. "Babe." I know she can tell I want to laugh at her.

She turns to me. "Carlos, you will have to let me use the side lot as an area for Max. He will need exercise, too. I just smile at her.

"I like him, Babe. I am sure the guys will like him, too." The puppy wakes up when we get to Rangeman. I give Babe her keyfob and she stares at it for a few moments, then she puts it into her pocket.

Before we get out of the car, there is a knock on the window. I slide it down and Hector hands me a small box and disappears into the shadows of the garage. I hand her the necklace and she puts it on with a huge smile. "Thanks! Is this a tracker or a panic button or something?"

I look at her and say "Yes, Babe." She does not balk.

"I love this, Carlos! I feel like a butterfly!" I love her smile.

We exit the car and I carry the crate and the bags while she carries the puppy and her purse. We ride on the elevator but it stops on the 5th floor. The doors open and all of the guys are standing there. Some of them have balloons. I see some of them are holding gifts. Lester has a sign that says, "Welcome Home, Beautiful!" I knew he was too quiet today.


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger. Helen is in this chapter. I am not a doctor and who knows if they would have let her leave like that. Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned here folks. Thanks for your messages!**

 **Stephanie POV**

I stared at the guys and realized that they had liked me all along and it was my own stupidity that kept me from having great loyal friends. Sure, I was more tolerant of them than my mother for instance and I did not let their size bother me, but I still rebelled against their offers of help and training. Not this time. I smile and set Max down and walk up to Lester.

"Hello, Lester. Did you plan all this for me?" He is excited. It is 9:30 at night and he is hyper. He puts his arm around my shoulder and Max growls. He moves away from me. I look at Carlos and he is smiling.

"Why don't you lead the way, Les? Max is not moving from in front of me for right now. We are new, so I want to let him get used to me." I pick up the puppy and pet him. Carlos gives Max some beef jerky he bought and Max barks at him happily and licks his fingers. He grabs my hand and pulls me into the conference room. Max is quiet. I guess he has chosen Carlos, huh?

In the conference room, there is cake and juice and just to be nice, there is a vegetable tray with dip and pita bread. There is oldies music playing and the guys slowly mingle with me. Carlos just sighs, but the only reason I hear it is that he is right behind me. I feel like I should say something.

"Thank you, guys for the warm welcome. I know many of you worked today and I feel special that you did this for me. I look forward to working and training with you. I am eager to learn about this job."

They all smile and nod and eat cake while I am between them and Ranger. I notice that Hector and Tank are really enjoying their cake and they are not looking this way. They are so cute.

I turn around and look at Ranger. He is looking scowly. I say quietly. "Carlos, be nice and I will give you a massage later." He gives me the eyebrow.

"Si, Babe?" I nod and smile.

"You bet, Batman." We stare at each other until Max barks. I laugh and see that he is standing near the door. "You guys, I have to walk my dog. I will see you all tomorrow. Thanks, again." Carlos collects my gifts and I motion that I want more cake and he narrows his eyes at me. I just turn and leave the conference room to take Max outside.

 **Ranger POV**

As soon as she left the room, I turned to Lester.

"Did you have to throw a party?" He nods and licks his spoon. Bobby is next to him looking smug.

"Yes, Cuz. I wanted Beautiful to see that we are fun sometimes." He elbows Bobby. They are quite the pair.

Bobby interjects. "We want her to like it here, Ranger. If we have cake once a month or so, she will not want to leave. Think about it." He even points to his head. Dammit, they are right.

"Thank you, Lester and Bobby. No more cake for a month, though. We have to maintain our physical standards, gentlemen." They all nod and agree. Ella takes the gifts from me and shoves me out of the conference room.

I catch up with Babe at the elevator. I step inside and it goes down. She has the leash on the puppy and once we get to the side lot, he makes us walk him around the perimeter of the lot before he does his business. I made a mental note to get some cedar chips for out here. No, I send a text to Luis before I forget. I have not been sleeping well since she was in the accident. I am so relieved that she is okay.

I lace our fingers together and she squeezes my hand. "I meant what I said about the massage, Carlos. I don't want you holding onto tension. It will make you cranky." She is so sweet.

"I would love that, Babe." We walk back inside and the elevator takes us to the 6th floor. Whoever is on monitors must be bored. I glare at the cameras. I show Babe to her apartment and open the door with my key fob. When she walks inside, she gasps. Tia Ella did a great job. Her apartment looks almost as good as mine. There is less furniture, but what she has is quality stuff.

I watch her touching things and I follow her into the bedroom and she flops down on the bed and moans. Damn, Babe. How long does she think I can stand here and watch her writhe on the bed like she is making snow angels or something?

The puppy jumps and tries to get up onto the bed. I put him onto the bed and he walks over to her and cuddles against her. Max really is a lucky dog. "I love these sheets, Carlos. Do you have the same kind?" I touch the sheets and they are the same kind I have. I nod at her.

"Yes, Babe." She shudders and gets up.

"Let's watch Ghostbusters while I give you that massage, Batman." She is killing me. I follow behind her and Max. In the living room, I sit on a sofa that is like mine and she sits behind me on her knees and starts kneading my shoulders. I did not even realize how much tension I was holding onto.

These past three weeks were so uncertain. She really was not injured, just knocked into a coma somehow. The doctors said there was maybe a concussion, but there was an airbag and everything. No one could determine exactly why she was in a coma.

I would visit Babe at the hospital every day like Tia Ella suggested. I would stand there and watch her for an hour. Silently I would say a prayer for her, I would kiss her forehead and tell her to feel better, and then I would come back and work. I had the guys keeping tabs on her visitors. For someone who is interested in Babe, Morelli did not visit once. Good.

Her mother came every day and talked to whoever would stand still, then she would go into the room and give Babe a speech and leave. Then her grandmother would come and grope the guys and visit and tell outlandish stories that made them laugh. They were afraid of her, but they looked out for her.

"Mmm. Babe, that feels so good." I lean forward and she rubs my whole back, while I pet the dog.

"So what time is my workout in the morning, Batman?" What? Oh, right. Damn, this feels good.

"Well, Babe, your shift starts at 0800 and ends at 1700. There is an hour for lunch. You should plan your gym time around that. I suggest you work out at 0600 until 0700, and then you can shower and change to be ready for the morning meeting. Bobby will want to give you a checkup and get all of your numbers before you start your physical training." She makes a noise like she agrees with me.

"For the first few days, I will have you training with Silvio and Hector on the programs, and then you can do searches and background checks. We run them on the employees of businesses we secure and on the FTAs. We also run homeowners. I had your paperwork backdated so you would have insurance and I made sure all of your debt was cleared. Please do not get offended." She has stopped massaging me. Oh, man. Is she angry with me?

"What did you just say to me, Carlos?" Her expression is kind of blank.

"Babe, you heard me. Do not be alarmed or think that I want anything for doing it. I just want you to be able to move forward. I know if you had the money, you would do it for me. Hector also moved your money to our bank. He left all of the paperwork in your purse."

I finished confessing and I felt better to tell her the whole truth. She hugs me and I feel tears wetting my shirt. I pull her close and pat her back. Max cuddles into her as well.

"Carlos, you are so wonderful. I trust you and I am sure you did not do those things for me to make advances on me. I cannot believe you did that. Thank you for being so thoughtful and generous. This will have to be a big return favor. I demand that you let me help you pick business and casual clothes to wear that are not black." I kiss her forehead.

She is serious about us being friends, but would she welcome me into her life as more? She kisses my cheek and snuggles with me. This feels so right. I don't want to leave, but I know I should let her get some sleep.

I wonder what her mother will say when she gets the note tomorrow. Babe also left a note for her father. She told me she has a plan for Morelli. I asked if I could help and she said I already have. Wow. I stand up and she stands up with me and hugs me.

"Um, Carlos. This is going to sound crazy, but could you stay here with me? I have had horrible dreams and I will be waking up in a new strange place. I am not asking for sex, I just want to know if you would stay and hold me?" She takes a deep breath and holds it like she is afraid of my answer. I look at Max and he barks like he agrees with her.

"Babe, let me go get some clothes and a shower. I want to look at tomorrow's schedule and check on a few things and I will be back." She smiles at me.

"Good. I will take a shower and check my clothes and get dressed for bed. You can just come on in and I will be waiting. Thank you, really." She hugs me again and goes to her bedroom. Wow. She totally seemed vulnerable there.

 **Stephanie POV**

What else could I do? I pace in the bedroom. I am terrified that I will go to sleep and wake up back in that hell hole. There was a pop. "You are not going to wake up there, Sweetcheeks. Just live your life." As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared. Thank you, Diesel.

Okay, then. I send Ella a text that I want to get my hair done and a facial and all that and she said she would schedule it for tomorrow at 6pm at Saks. I sent her a thank you text when I got out of the shower.

I put on my underclothes and chose a black tee shirt that looks suspiciously like it is Ranger's and a pair of grey yoga pants. I pull my hair back into ponytail and take a vitamin and go and get into bed. I sit there reading a Nora Roberts book until I hear a noise. Max barks his happy bark, so it must be Ranger.

I look up and he is wearing a black tee shirt and grey pajama pants. We match. He drops his duffle bag next to the closet and takes off his shoes and puts his weapons away. He sets a phone on the nightstand and tells me it is my work phone since the one I was using was a burner phone.

I lift up the covers and let him into the left side of the bed. I know he sleeps on the left side. Go me. He gets into the bed and I cuddle with him as the big spoon and put my book on the nightstand as well. He takes my hair loose and strokes my scalp and I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

 **Ranger POV**

I am almost back to Babe's apartment when I hear a throat clear. Ugh. I spin to the left and see Tia Ella.

"Ricardo, why are you staying the night with Estefania?" I take a deep breath and follow her into her apartment.

"Tia, she says that she has had nightmares for a while and asked me to stay with her since it is her first night in a new place. I am not rushing her or anything like that. I promise." She studies my face for a few seconds, and then she shoves me back out of the door.

"Good. She has an appointment at Sak's tomorrow. Let her off work on time. Maybe you should go with her and have a facial as well. Go away and get some rest, mijo."

"Thanks, Tia." She nods and shuts the door in my face. I open Babe's apartment and walk back to the bedroom. She is reading and she smiles at me. I put the puppy onto the bed and take off my shoes. I show her the phone I got her and she puts her book away.

As soon as I get into her bed on what I know is my side, she turns and snuggles against me as the little spoon. I take her hair out of the ponytail and stroke her scalp. She goes right to sleep. I hold her as promised and I go to sleep as well.

 **Steph POV**

It was Thanksgiving and my mother had cornered me in the kitchen again. "Stephanie, I heard from Joseph that you are refusing to take care of him." It was our second year of marriage. Joe had had a tantrum and hit me because I refused to go down on him. He did not care that I was pregnant at the time, either.

We definitely clashed on the subject of oral sex. He was for it, and I was against it. He could shoot me. I was not doing it. I asked him what would happen if I bit it by mistake. He stopped asking after that.

I did not let him do that to me, either and I had stopped kissing him, because I really got the feeling he was cheating. I used birth control pills that I had hidden, but he found them and now I am pregnant again.

Anyway, I refuse to give him oral sex. I just do not trust him. My OBGYN checks me over every month. And now, just for fun I have to listen to my mother talk about why she thinks I should go down on that hairy son of a bitch.

"Really, Stephanie. It's not so bad once you get past the taste." Ew. I am going to be sick and I can blame it on the pregnancy.

"Just let him have his way and it will be over in no time. Your father is a fast finisher if you know what I mean. Then everyone will be happy."

Oh, Lord please make her shut up! It's too late, she has been drinking and the turkey is not finished yet. Why does she think we are friends just because we are both married? I back away from her, but she is still talking.

"If you really want some extra money in your household budget, you should go ahead and swallow it, you know." She just told me to perform sex for money. What kind of mother is she? Does she really do that with Daddy? Why can't I stop thinking about it?

"Did you ever try the dirty talk? It really ads spice in the bedroom. Just last week, your father and I…" I ran out the back door screaming "No!" at the top of my lungs and the next thing I know, I can hear Ranger. Ranger? How did he get here? I can smell him and I can feel him. Oh, yes. He stayed with me. I am safe. Jesus, that was a hideous dream.

That was a warped version of a lecture I received from my mother one Thanksgiving. She really did allude to the fact that I should give Joe oral sex, but she did not get graphic. I snuggle with Carlos and hold onto him, making sure we are completely touching this time. I hope that is the only bad dream I will have tonight. Ew.

 **Ranger POV**

I am dragged out of sleep by her screaming "No!" I look at the clock and it is just after 0200. I pick her up and put her into my lap and start to talk to her in soft Spanish. I tell her that I will protect her and that she will be alright and that she is not alone anymore and that she is so special.

She had rolled away from me in her sleep. I lay back down and she lays full on top of me with her head on my chest and tangles her legs with mine. "Night, Carlos. Thank you." She goes right back to sleep with her hair all wild and her body covering me. I like this. I relax into the pillow and go to sleep.

Barking wakes me up the next time. I look at the clock on my phone and it is 0505. My alarm was set for 0515. I sigh and get up and change into my workout clothes. I had left Babe holding my pillow. I shake Babe and she moans and says my name and reaches for me. I shake her again and she sits up and looks around. When she sees me she smiles a huge smile.

"Good morning, Batman. Let me get my workout clothes on and I know Max needs to go out." She jumps out of bed and hugs me on her way to the bathroom. I look at Max. I was expecting more of a fight.

"Do you think the accident made her like waking up early, Max?" The puppy barks at me again and I get his leash and wait for Babe in the living room. Suddenly Max barks twice and there is a knock on the door. I open it and there is Lester and Bobby and they are smiling huge smiles.

"Yes, gentlemen?" They rock back and forth on their feet and they look silly.

"Hey, Bossman! We came to see if Bombshell wanted to work out with us this morning. It is a shock to see that you are here and you beat us to the apartment. The elevator came from the lobby when we called it, didn't it, Les?" I glare at them and pull them inside.

"Shut up! She has nightmares. Do you want to tease her about it, Bob?" He looks sad that he can't tease me anymore.

"Fine, you may be innocent, Ranger." Lester is looking around.

"This sure is a snazzy apartment. Mine looks like I am still in basic training. I also cannot have sleepovers. Is this gender discrimination, Bob?" He found another thing to bug me about.

"Lester, if you are accident and prank free for 60 days, then I will let Ella and Luis to redecorate your apartment. You are not bringing your revolving door lifestyle here." He cheers up quickly.

"Thanks, Cuz. Good morning, Beautiful. You look pretty in blue." I turn and she is in a light blue tee shirt that could be larger if you ask me and tiny shorts. I was going to have to talk with Tia Ella. When she walked past me, I saw that her shorts had Rangeman embroidered on her ass. I love my aunt.

I took Babe to walk the puppy first, and then we went to the gym. There was quite the turnout for 0530 in the morning. They had better not mess with her. I let Bobby take her off to do tests and I kept Max with me. He kept barking, so I set him onto the treadmill next to mine at a slow pace. The guys all gathered around to watch the dog work out. He was adorable. He barked when he wanted to stop and I took him to a water bowl Ella must have sent down.

He drank water and I tossed a ball for him and he would chase it and bring it back. Suddenly, he went still and ran over to Cal and barked at him. Cal was getting onto the climbing ropes. He kept messing with Cal's shoe laces until he walked away from the rope. When Cal moved away totally, the rope fell down. He would have hurt himself.

The guys all pet the dog and cheered for him. Max just came back over to me and barked for the ball. Wow, Babe has a dog that can count, likes to work out, and is aware of his surroundings. He also likes me better than Lester. I like Max, too.

Babe comes over and tells me that she is finished and that Bobby said she is not in horrible shape. I smile and tell her about Max and his workout and the way he saved Cal from getting hurt. She cooed at the dog and then she ran on the treadmill.

She took off that tee shirt and she was wearing a sports bra that also said Rangeman. We all watched her and she told me she did 3 miles.

I showed her how to stretch and she got onto the elliptical machine and worked out on that for a while. She was sweaty and she looked like a Rangeman centerfold by the time she was ready to leave.

She is doing wonders for morale. The guys like her. I think that the guys will start working out whenever Babe does. I walk her to her apartment and get my bag. Max goes inside and starts to eat. Babe thanked me again for last night. She promises to be downstairs on time after I tell her that Ella will bring breakfast to the break room.


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger. Helen is in this chapter again. I am not a doctor and who knows if they would have let her leave like that. Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned here folks. Thanks for your messages!**

 **Steph POV**

Wow. When I just tried my best, I did okay. I just had to believe in myself. It helped that I was used to daily manual labor. I barely felt those 3 miles. My little Max was aware of his surroundings. The guys loved him. Carlos said he could count.

I know they looked at me when I took off my tee shirt. Good. They are good looking and I definitely was looking at them! Really, though, I am just loving the feeling of being me again. I am smart and I am young again. I am single. Well, hopefully not for long, but I would work on Batman. He was so patient with me.

I called Gram and gave her my new number and told her it was a secret. She said operation graffiti was a success. She said she told all of the ladies about how hairy Joe is and how small he is and that he will probably turn out just like his no good father. I told her to do the deli thing tomorrow and she agreed. She said they were having fun and she could not wait for the phones to start ringing. I thanked her.

Gram assured me that she was having a ball. She said she had already taken two loads to her new place and that daddy helped her when she explained it to him. They worked before Ma woke up. She said all she has left are her rocking chair and another load of clothes and shoes. She told me she even took all of her pots and pans from the kitchen. She then rushed me off the phone.

 **Helen POV**

I woke up alone for a change. Usually I have to tell Frank to get ready for breakfast. Oh well. By the time I have finished dressing, I notice how quiet it is. I knocked on mother's door and she is not in there. I look around her room and it looks very clean. Many of her things are gone! What is going on?

I go downstairs and begin to plan breakfast and I think about dinner. After breakfast is over, I will go to the hospital to visit Stephanie. People will continue to see me as a doting and caring mother. Besides, those girls over there are good sources of information. I have learned so much these past few weeks about people in town.

I open the cabinets and many of my pots are missing. I hear the front door shut again and I can hear mother talking. What is she up to now? I walk into the living room and she hangs up the phone with someone. When did she get a cell phone anyway?

"Mother where have you been this early? Why are things missing from your room and what did you do with most of the pots and pans?" She just smiles at me and looks over at Frank. He smiles and looks a little excited.

"Helen, your mother moved out! Her apartment is already furnished. She has a few things left to take over there. I helped her! Isn't that great!" What?

"Don't be ridiculous, Frank! There is no way Mother can afford to pay rent on an apartment and bills for utilities as well on her income." They both just smile at me and my mother shimmies around.

"Actually, daughter, my bills will be paid. Don't you worry your little head about it. It's my business, not yours. I got us some donuts. I took my pots and pans. Let's have coffee and donuts, and then you can go over to visit Stephanie." She looks practically giddy.

We eat and go to the hospital. Frank insists on coming with me since he said Mother had a ride back to her apartment. I wonder where she is staying. All I have to do is wait a while and I will hear about it I am sure. At the nurse's station, that nice Gloria is whispering with someone, so I wait for her to come over to me.

She smiles at me, but she looks a little confused. "Mrs. Plum, good morning. Did you hear about Joe Morelli?" I shake my head no.

She leans in and tells me about him. "I heard that he comes from a long line of woman beaters, that he has violent tendencies and that he is really small down there!" I look around to see who heard her. What is this? Now people are going to bad mouth poor Joseph.

"Gloria, I have no way of knowing about his personal business, but Joseph is a police detective." She just shakes her head at me.

"I heard he was seeing Terri Gilman and you know about her family, Mrs. Plum. Anyway, I have these notes for you and your husband. Stephanie checked out yesterday evening. She had a clean bill of health. That is the most I am allowed to tell you."

What? Joseph was seeing that Gilman girl? That would not do! What does she mean Stephanie left? When I was here, she was still in a coma.

I hand Frank his letter and I open mine. It is very short. All it says is that she is in good health, that she is getting her apartment together and that she will see me soon. I turn to Gloria and ask her how she left and who helped her. She said she does not know because she was off, but that she cannot tell me any more information.

I demand to see a supervisor and I am told that since she was perfectly healthy, she could do as she pleased and I should be glad my daughter did not have any complications. I ask more questions and tell them I am her next of kin and I pay her medical bills, and they said she has insurance already.

I storm out of there and Frank drives me back home. He will not tell me what his note said. My phone is ringing when I get into the house. I answer it and it is Marjorie telling me she heard that there is writing on the walls in the ladies' restrooms around town about Joe Morelli and how he is not very blessed in the equipment department and that he is very very hairy.

I get her off the phone because she starts asking me about Stephanie and I don't have any answers. More people call to congratulate me on my mother moving out and my daughter getting better. Others just talk about Joseph and how horrible he is. What is going on today? Where is my daughter? That did not go as I planned it. Where did my mother move to? I am so confused. Why me!

 **Stephanie POV**

Today when I looked in the mirror, I loved my reflection. I feel free and in charge of my own life. I showered again and pulled my hair back into a bun like a librarian and put on a silver button down shirt that is stretchy and silver thigh high stockings with garters. Ella is so serious.

I put on a black wrap skirt that came to just above my knees and I even put on the thigh holster with the gun someone left me. I grabbed a silver and white mini hooded sweater and put it on and lastly I put on the knee high 4" heeled black CAT boots. My shirt and sweater says Rangeman.

I grab my purse and a new messenger bag that has a new laptop in it. I figure Hector can help me to set it up. I told Max to come on so I could eat and I put my fob and my phone into my pockets and we hit the elevator.

When I stepped off the elevator, the guys all stared at me. Hee hee. I miss feeling pretty. I was barely wearing makeup. I was wearing mascara, a little eyeliner and lipgloss only. I set my things down in the office with my name on the door and I walked into the break room. I went for coffee first and then I got an egg white omelet and what looks like an oatmeal muffin. I sit down and wait to see who approaches me first. While I wait, I take out my phone and send Carlos a text.

 **Ranger POV**

I have been busy arranging things with Luis and Al, and I now realize it is very quiet out there. I get a text from Babe that says "Where are you, Batman? I am waiting for you." She is playful. I like that. I go into the break room and there is a crowd. I clear my throat and they move away. Tank is sitting with Babe and she looks so fucking hot in that outfit. She looks up at me and smiles, and then she crosses her legs. Have mercy, Babe! She is armed and she is wearing thigh high stockings and those boots. I walk over to her after I get coffee.

"You look like I wish my librarian looked Babe. Ella did a good job getting you clothes that are professional but that show your femininity." She winks at me. "Batman, didn't you know? I am all woman. Sit down and eat something." Yes, ma'am.

I noticed that when Binkie tried to sit with Babe, Max growled. I love this dog. I sat down and she was asking Tank why he did not streamline payroll to work with the security badges and what if we had to use the badges to get the elevators to move. Wouldn't that be more secure? Tank hugged her and said he was on it and left the room on a mission.

Lester sat in Tank's chair. She asked if she could look at all of the outstanding FTAs and that maybe we should offer Vinnie to take all of them and that way she could research them and help to plan the captures. She assured Les that she did not want to go out on the captures. He said it was worth a try and that he would have Vinnie sign a 90 day contract to see how it worked out. He left. She stared at me. I motioned to her.

"What is your advice for me, Babe?" She leaned in close and whispered that she would tell me in private because it was personal, but for now I should work on wearing grey instead of black all the time unless I want to be called Batman. I smiled at her. She was so sexy. I loved her confidence. She is still vulnerable at times and the smallest things make her smile. Babe finished eating and stood up. I stood as well, and walked her to her office. I walked inside and shut the door.

"Carlos, at lunchtime I am going to my parent's house to tell them the deal. I would like it if you came with me as Carlos and not scary Ranger. Please." I smiled and agreed to go with her.

"You really look beautiful, Babe. There is an onsite meeting with the president of the homeowner's association for Eastland Estates after lunch. Your dress right now is fine." I looked her up and down. She suppresses a giggle.

"I will change from cargos to a suit. I guess I can do that before lunch. They want us to do a walk through on a model home and see what our suggestions and pricing would be. I would like you to sit in on that." She smiles and updates her day planner with the information.

"I got Al to get you a silver Trailhawk. Here are the keys. It is a business vehicle and there is bomb detection and bullet proof glass, Babe." She takes the keys and adds her fob to the keychain and puts it into her pocket. She looks at me to see if I have anything else to add, but I don't right now.

"Let's get to the meeting, Babe. I will see you at 1200. I will come in and get you. You are with Silvio. He will show you how to work on Lester's files. Have a good day." She just winks at me and says she will be along in a few minutes. The guys had better back off. Babe was mine.

 **Stephanie POV**

I got up and used my bathroom. I shared it with Ranger, but whatever. This was a great setup. I took my phone and my day planner into the meeting with me as well as a steno pad. I sat to the right of the head of the table by habit. Tank sat on the other side. I like being near Ranger. I like smelling him. This is the best day ever so far! Ok, calm down, Stephanie.

I took notes and Lester gave me his pile of files. There were over 20 FTAs. I just smiled and nodded at him. The meeting was not long because everyone had things to work on. I suggested that the guys always wear their bullet proof vests and jackets and to have extra jackets in the cars. They nodded and the meeting was over.

Silvio spent an hour taking me through the programs and then he left because I told him I was alright with it. I read all of the FTA files and many of them jogged my memory. I made notes on the print outs and gave my suggestions on all of them. I wrote things like take McDonald's to Dougie and Mooner and to be firm, but not mean to them and they would come easily.

I laughed at Norville Thompson's file and called him. He ranted for a while about the market pissing him off. I asked what we could do to help him out and he asked for a ride to the track once a month and a gift card to the market. I wrote that down.

I found Mr. Conklin's file and I asked him if one of the guys could wait there and then he could get bonded out and not miss the cable company. He agreed and I wrote that down as well as the suggestion to take him some donuts.

For 6 of the files, I called their mothers and they said they would have the guys ready. I wrote that down. I also found LaShonda Watkins' file and made notes that she would go quietly in a nice car and that maybe they should take her a milkshake.

The files that needed a distraction, I flagged as such and suggested they send them free passes to Dave and Buster instead and take them in after they finished playing. There were a few that needed to be coordinated early morning or late night take downs, but I made suggestions on what to do and that they should not park near the locations to avoid any car deaths.

When I was finished, it was almost noon, so I gave the files with my notes to Lester and he kissed my cheek, making Max growl at him. He took the files and almost ran away. I made him promise to do it like my notes said and he said he would make sure the guys did it as planned. He entered all of the info into the database and started assigning guys to do the takedowns.

I met Carlos back at my office and he took me inside and hugged me.

"You can do this, Babe. You are a strong, smart, beautiful woman. I have heard about the speeches she gave you while you were in the hospital. Do not believe anything she says. I will be right there with you." Wow.

"Thank you, Carlos. I appreciate your support. You look hot in that suit, Batman. If you smile along with wearing that suit, my mother will be putty in your hands." He smiled at me and wow, he is so handsome.

"We are taking your car today, Babe." I almost skip out of the door. My mother better watch out. I am no longer that meek people pleaser. We arrived at the house and we brought juice and a basket of sandwiches Ella made. Heh heh. We walked right into the house because the door was slightly ajar.

"Why me?!" Wow, she started without me. We stand behind her and listen to her rant of the day.

"Why do I have a mother who moves out before breakfast and I don't know where Stephanie is! How could she check herself out of the hospital? Yes, Phyllis, I heard about Joseph. Are you sure what you heard is true? I am sure it is all lies since he is a police detective." She is ironing and talking on the phone. How surprising.

"This has to be false, Phyllis. Someone is sabotaging him. I have to go. The hospital refused to tell me anything and when I said we would be paying her bills they said she already has insurance! Okay. Bye." She hung up and turned around and startled when she saw us.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, where have you been! I have been worried sick about you. Just yesterday you were still in a coma and now you show up looking like you have a job at the library or something."

"Mother calm down! I am fine and I am in good health. This is my friend, Carlos Manoso. He owns the business Rangeman. There are 3 different offices in Trenton, Boston and Miami. He was in the Army like Daddy, but he was an Army Ranger." I motion to the basket in my hand.

"We came to have lunch and we brought sandwiches made by his wonderful aunt Ella. Her cakes are delicious and she included some in the basket as well. Where is Rex? Do you need help to set the table?"

She just stares at me. Her eyes go from Carlos in his suit and his close body language, to the basket to me. I know she heard that another woman cooked for me. Heh heh.

She snaps out of it. "It is nice of you to bring lunch. I gave your hamster to the elementary school. No one knew when you would come out of the coma and it jus seemed like the nice thing to do. I will have the table set in just a few moments. Frank!"

She has some nerve. I feel detached from Rex since he died a long time ago to me, but still! Daddy comes in and hugs me and shakes Carlos' hand, and then he sits down at the table. I sit next to Carlos after he pulls out my seat.

Ma comes out with napkins and plates and cups and we sit and eat the sandwiches. Daddy moans like I do and Ranger looks like he wants to laugh. I am waiting for her to start and she does not disappoint.

"Stephanie, I wanted to tell you that that nice Joseph Morelli will be coming over for dinner. It is all over town that you helped him to get his job back. Will you come and see him? I know he wants to thank you for helping to clear his name." She looks at me with such a fake smile. I am eerily reminded of the dream. Ew.

 **Ranger POV**

Yeah. I am sure he wants to thank the hell out of Babe. She sits up straight and checks her watch. It is a Movado. I owe Tia Ella a raise. Babe looks at her mother and says really sweetly.

"Ma, there is no way I can date Joe Morelli. He may be innocent of murder and a police detective, but I only cleared his name because it was the right thing to do and it was kind of my job. It was nothing personal." She leans in close like she is telling a secret.

"I have heard some things about him that make me wonder what a relationship with him would be like." She frowns at her mother.

"Also, I just started a new job! It is an office job that pays really well and did you see my company car outside? I am totally safe now, Ma. You do not have to worry. I am doing client meetings and research." Babe looks at her watch again.

"I even got a new apartment and there is security on the building so I am not worried about a break in or anything like that. Isn't that wonderful?" Her mother says nothing. She is just staring at Babe. Babe wipes her mouth and smiles that great smile again.

"Please pass the cake. Ella said it is flourless! I just love her cooking!" She takes the cake and serves me and her father a piece before she gets a piece for herself. Her mother is just staring at her.

"But you have known Joseph since you were younger! You dated!" Babe licks her fork and sets it down." She gets a really serious look on her face.

"We did not date, mother. If you are going to reference that incident, tell the truth. Ma, do you want people to think you are trying to set me up with the guy that took my virginity behind the éclair case at the Tasty Pastry?" What?! That pendejo!

"Would you really want me to be with such a callous man that still never apologized for writing about it and leaving town? People thought I was easy, Ma. Why would you want me to be with someone who ruined my reputation like that? People are talking about him and they are not saying anything good right now, either." Her mother looks like a fish out of water, but Babe is not done with her.

"He also recently used my own handcuffs against me while I was working on his case and he had broken into my apartment, too. What will people think that you would want to push us together? No, I think I will stay far away from Mr. Morelli."

Go Babe. I want to shoot that fucker. No, he is not getting Babe. Her mother looks perplexed. I know she wants to say something positive about Morelli, but she can't. Just then, her grandmother comes strolling inside.

"Hey Helen, Frank, Stephie. Hello, Mr. Manoso. You are looking very nice today." I smile at her.

"Did you hear about the writing on the walls of the ladies' bathrooms? They say that Morelli is not shooting a loaded revolver. They say he has a pea shooter if you know what I mean." She makes a motion like she is showing us something tiny and I hold in my laugh.

"I heard he was a woman beater like his father. He drinks with his cousin at least three days a week, too Helen. That does not sound like family material. He sounds like the domineering type. That is no good for my baby granddaughter." She sits down and gets comfortable.

"I talked to a lot of people and they are all saying negative things about Joe Morelli. Sure he may not be a killer, but who would want a violent man as a husband?"

Now she leans in like she is telling us a secret. Steph is just like her granny. "Philomina Bakowski said she heard he is very very hairy. That is another mark on the con list. I do not want a mouthful of hair when I am getting my freak on. No siree." Ew. She gave me mental images.

 **Stephanie POV**

Way to go, Gram. It is time to go. I know it will take my mother time to change her opinion, but I do not care. "Mother!" My mother acts all prudish. I know she already heard about this.

"Look, Ma, I just wanted you to know that I am alright. I will try to come by for lunch next week. I am getting settled and doing training for my new position."

I stand up and so does Carlos. "Ella does all of our laundry that does not get dry cleaned, so I will not be bothering you with that. You don't have to feel badly for giving away Rex. Carlos got me a puppy! I will see you, Daddy. Good luck in your new apartment, Gram." That ought to burn her toast. Ha!

I kiss daddy and give Gram a sandwich and some cake and I pulled Ranger out the door while my mother is silent. I cannot wait until tomorrow with the deli op. I know so much about that asshat, it will be easy to do this mental warfare against him. He will be the topic of gossip instead of me.

 **Carlos POV**

She waits until we get into the car, with me driving this time to speak to me. "Carlos, promise me you will get all of the guys to use the dashcams in their cars. Morelli will try to come after you guys since I work with you. He is petty like that." I nod, but my hands are gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Also, please do not go after him. Let him hang himself. The more he acts like an idiot, the more he will be judged by the public and he will ruin his own chances for a promotion and all of that. Do you promise me?" She looks at me and takes my hand.

"Yes, Babe. I will try it your way, but if he touches you again, the gloves are off. You are under my protection." She sighs and squeezes my hand.

"Thank you. You are under my protection, too. I will keep all of the slutty women away from you. You deserve a quality woman that understands you." Just like you, Babe.

I smile at her and she turns on the radio and starts dancing. She is so relaxed around me and after that lunch. Babe has a good ally in her grandmother. I like Miss Edna. She made Babe's mom turn colors.

At the sales call, Babe makes the guy Mr. Williams fall in love with her and he almost begs for a system. He takes all of her suggestions and says he will have his friends call and ask for her. His wife loves the key fob and she insists on a panic chain like Babe's. I just stand there and hold the clipboard. She is a natural and she was not nervous at all.

On the way back, I pull over into a parking lot for the dairy queen.

"Babe, you were amazing with those people. I am so proud of you. I just wanted to tell you that you definitely deserve your salary and the commissions you will earn from all the sales that will come in. Thank you for agreeing to work with us." She hugs me and kisses my cheek again.

"I had fun with Kevin and Felicia. They loved my panic chain and the key fob, then I told them about Max and they said they would go out there tomorrow to see about getting a couple of puppies. It barely felt like work, Carlos. Now, let's get back." She looks at her watch again.

"I have to meet Tank at the shooting range at 1500, I want to check with Hector about my laptop after that, and I have my hair appointment at 1800. I am getting good at army talk. Go me." I just smile and drive. I really like this new Babe.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger. I had to put Morelli into this chapter. Writing his POV made me feel icky. Someone console me.**

 **I know it seems like I am dragging out a couple of days here, but when I skip time later, I won't have to show the little things so much, plus I am having fun with this.**

 **The rating is earned here for language. Thanks for your messages!**

 **Joe Morelli POV**

For the past three weeks since my name has been cleared, I have been living large. My mother has been cooking up a storm for me, people at the bakery and at the bank have been very friendly and the other cops have been falling over themselves to apologize and make nice with me.

Women have been very willing. I know Cupcake solved the case, but she is in the hospital and she cannot tell the story. It's been all about me, just like I deserve.

Sure I got a dishonorable discharge from the Navy, but at least I got enlisted in the first place. I have put in my time and now I am a detective and the ladies of the Burg cannot get enough of me. I have dinner invitations from all of the older ladies. They are hoping to match their daughters up with me, Joe Morelli. The only invite I care about is at the Plums.

Whenever Cupcake comes out of her coma, I can start my plans to woo her. Mrs. Plum is doing half of my work for me. She told Vinnie that Cupcake quits her job and she is going to make her move out of that stupid apartment. It is just a matter of time before I tame her and put her into her place.

Stephanie Plum belongs to me and she has since she was six and we played choo choo. I want her and I always get what I want. With her not working for Vinnie, she won't be around Manoso. He can just give up. Burg girls don't want thugs like him.

That is how I felt when I woke up today. But now, I almost wish I could just go back to bed. It is crazy. All day, I have been getting calls from my mother about something written on the bathroom walls. How would they know my exact measurements? So what I am hairy, I am Italian. When I find the disgruntled bitch that spread my business around town, I will slap the shit out of her.

My coworkers have been teasing me and someone left a 'my little pony toy' on my desk with a note that said I was no longer the Italian Stallion. They will get theirs. Terri called me to cancel our date for late tonight. I don't get why she would cancel on me; she has already seen me naked. If she was not complaining by now, what is the point? I don't feel like dealing with her moods right now. She should be available. I am a man and I have needs.

In just one day, I go from being popular for having my name cleared and solving multiple murders to the town joke. I am popular for shit I want to keep hidden. My mother has been crying all day because people are talking about my father and my uncles and all about the way they treated us when I was younger. We survived it and it made us stronger.

Besides, I learned how to deal with a woman. You woo her and break her down mentally, then you isolate her and if she complains, you smack her. Everyone does it- they just act like it is a bad thing. I have an image to uphold in this town. I am the bad boy gone good. I am all man. Why does it matter what size my dick is?

I answer the phone and it is just the lady I want to speak with. "Hello, Mrs. Plum, how are you today?" She takes a deep breath.

"Joseph I am calling to tell you that Stephanie is out of the hospital. She checked out last night and she is doing just fine. She visited me today and she actually looked halfway decent." That is great!

"So, do you want me to come over for dinner tonight, Helen? I can bring the wine." I cannot wait to see Cupcake. "Well, Joseph, the thing is, Stephanie told me she is not coming to dinner, so you do not need to bring any wine or come at all. I will talk to you another time. Goodbye, Joseph." She fucking hung up on me! What the hell?

If Cupcake is out of the hospital and visiting her mother, she must be back at her apartment. I call Pino's and place an order. She cannot resist their pizza and once she lets me inside, I will not leave until she knows she is mine. Maybe I will stop at the bakery, too. I will take a dozen cupcakes. Heh heh.

 **Ranger POV**

"Come along, Batman and stop pouting." She was enjoying this. I reminded Babe about the family dinner tomorrow and she declared that she needed to see my closet. She is dragging me to my apartment right now. I may have had some fantasies about her in my bedroom, but this was not a part of them.

I thought about escaping, but Max had growled when I backed away from Babe. She needs to recognize. I am a soldier. I have a system that I am used to. I almost have a uniform for every day. It works for me. I look good in black anyway. If she would stop smiling at me like that, then I would be able to resist her.

If I did not know any better, I would think she was in cahoots with Mama. She was another woman who nagged me about my clothes. I had changed into a long sleeved tee shirt and a dark brown dress shirt when she said I could not go to Sak's in my work clothes. This makes four outfits for today that I have worn. What am I, a rock star? She races through my closet making humming sounds and then she turns to me.

"Nope." I blink at her. "Babe? What do you mean nope?" She sighs and takes my hand, this time pulling me back towards the door. She has a hair appointment after all. "We will talk in the car, Carlos. Max, you are not going. We will let you off on the 5th floor. Please be nice to the guys."

The dog barks happily and when the doors open, he runs out of the elevator and the doors close again. Babe is bouncing and dancing around to music only she can hear. I think she is especially cute in her little denim ruffled skirt and peasant blouse. Her hair is loose just the way I like it and she looks beautiful. She had a good first day and it was not awkward at all. We take her car she drives singing to the radio with the windows down.

Finally she turns down the music and talks to me. "Carlos, you need to be you around your family. Not the Army Ranger, not the CEO, not the Ranger the streets are afraid of. Not even Batman. When you go to visit your family, just be Ricky." She winks at me.

"I want you to get some clothes you can be yourself in while I am getting my hair done. Think about playing football in the yard or cooking out with your dad and then pick some clothes. I know you can do it. Also, see if they will give you some suits that are maybe blue or brown. Do not wear black suits unless you are going to a formal affair. Okay?" Wow. She really seems to understand me.

"Yes, Babe. I understand. Thank you for your advice. Until your new credit card comes in the mail, will you let me pay for your clothes and treatments today? I promise you can write me a check or wash my cars if you want to." I say this with a straight face.

She blushes and hits my leg since she is parking. "Stop making fun of me! Yes you can pay, but I get to pick the movie tonight, Carlos." Movie? What movie? She smiles.

"Friends have movie nights. Ours is tonight and since I am off tomorrow and you are only on call, we can stay up late and talk and eat junk and do each other's nails!" I had been nodding along. A slumber party with Babe sounded good, and she started giggling. Nails! She is playing with me and I love it. I lean over and kiss her and she kisses me back. It is a brief kiss, but it is a good kiss.

"Sure, Babe, we can do all of that, except the nails. You go ahead and let them make you more beautiful and I will meet you in the salon for our facials. I love your pretty smile, Babe." She looks at me like she is in a daze and she blinks and shakes her head.

"Wow, Carlos, you are dangerous. I love all of the compliments you are handing out. You make me feel so special. I am really looking forward to spending time with you later. Now let's hit it. My legs should be working by now. You need to stop trying to turn my knees to jelly!" She gets out of the car and leaves me to catch up to her.

 **Edna POV**

I decided that since it was a Friday evening, I would throw a party. I had food and movies and music. Everyone in the building was invited. Last night and today was a real hoot of a time.

The main reason I am throwing this shindig is because my baby granddaughter stood up to her mother. It was touch and go there for a while. I tried to have faith in her, but she did marry that Orr asshole just to shut Helen up. This time, I was hoping against hope that she would come out of the coma with a new attitude.

For every time Helen would visit, I would visit twice as long and tell her stories. I want her with a man that lets her fly, not some dumbass bully that would suck the life out of her. When we cooked up some schemes to play psychological warfare on Morelli, I got the definite vibe that my Stephie hates that man. Excellent.

My party is a pajama jammie jam, and all of us have had a little to drink. I am in a leopard print lounge set myself. There was a knock on the door, so I went to answer it and guess it was! This is wonderful! I look Mr. Morelli up and down and stare at him with my drink in my hand.

"Hello, Little Joe." He frowns and looks confused.

"Mrs. Mazur, where is Cupcake? I brought her some pizza and some cupcakes." Is this guy serious?

"Her name is Stephanie and she is not here right now." He tries to look past me, but all of my peeps are dancing and having a good old time.

"When will she be back?" I sigh.

"Look Little Joe, she does not live here." He stares at me in shock.

"What do you mean she does not live here?" I wish I had filmed this.

"She moved out, Little Joe. She quit her job, too. I live here now and I am not interested in you, so please do not come back knocking on my door." He takes a breath and then opens his mouth to talk, but I cut him off.

"If you want, you can leave the food, but this party is for grown and sexy people. You must be this tall to ride this ride and all of that." I hold my arms apart to show nine inches.

"None of us carry tweezers so there is nothing here for you. Make a choice, Little Joe. I have guests." I stare him down while he turns colors. He shoves the food at me and turns to leave. I slam the door and lock it with my new Rangeman locks.

That felt so good. I have to blog about it. Operation Deli Meat will be so much fun tomorrow. If he is already running around town confused and turning colors, messing with his head will be a cinch. He did not even respond when I kept calling him Little Joe. They played Marvin Gaye and I decided the blog could wait. This is my jam!

 **Steph POV**

All through my hair appointment, I have been deep in thought. I am fighting with myself. How should I act around Carlos? I love him and the way he has been treating me and what I know about him, I could fall even deeper for him. I want him to open up to me, but I already know things about him. Diesel said I cannot tell him, so I guess I will just let things progress as they have. He is definitely interested in me. That just depresses me.

He probably gave me all of those barriers before because I was with someone. Otherwise it would have made him seem pathetic to chase after someone else's woman. Oh I was a wretched dummy! No more! With that thought in mind, I go in search of Carlos and find him almost surrounded by four women. He is being polite, but he is not comfortable.

I clear my throat. "Carlos, I am finished. Are you ready?" They all turn to me and stare. I know my hair in shades of brown and auburn with the curls still wild, but purposefully wild looks great. I am wearing diamond studs in my ears and the platinum chain he gave me with the diamond butterfly.

Carlos walks right by those women and up to me and embraces me. "You look amazing, Querida. Yes I am ready. Lead the way." He kisses my forehead and escorts me away from them. They look so jealous!

"Babe, I found some clothes and I will let you look through them. Now, let's get you relaxed. I love your hair like that, Querida." I hug him with one arm.

"Flattery will not stop me from removing all of the black from the pile, Carlos. Behave and dial back the Latin lover before I swoon and you have to carry me the rest of the way." He laughs and picks me up anyway and sprints through the store to the spa area with me shrieking the whole time.

By the time we left the store, I was beat. Carlos insisted on carrying everything to the car that was not being delivered. We had shopped and bickered like best friends.

I made him laugh when I convinced the personal shopper girls to hold up numbers like judges for his fashion show. They gave him 15s every time, though. If it would not have ruined his image, he would have blushed. Carlos told me paybacks were a bitch and I said if I can handle my mother, I can handle him. He had given me a look that was so hot, my panties grew damp.

I let Carlos drive and I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up in my apartment on my bed with Max barking at me. I looked around and there was a note. I read it and it was from Carlos. He said that he walked Max and that I should change into my pajamas and grab whatever movies I wanted to watch tonight and he was handling the food. He said to pack my workout clothes so I could stay over with him.

There was an arrow, so I turned the note over. He wrote that he had a great time with me and that I was beautiful. Following the last arrow, I continued reading. the final PPS said to hurry up because he missed me already. I raced into my closet with a big smile on my face. I am framing that note. He was being playful and sweet and I loved it.

Batman is incredible.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **Here is their movie night slumber party.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language. Thanks for your messages!**

 **Stephanie POV**

Now what should I do? I sat with Max in Carlos' living room. I stared at the puppy, and he stared back. I looked around the room, but I did not feel right snooping through his things. I cannot go to the bedroom because who knows what kind of freaky dream I will have.

I had already cleaned up and now I was reading, but I kept reading the same sentence over and over. This was not going to work. It was 2300 and Carlos had to leave because there was an alarm at a property. Things were going so great between us up until he got that call, too.

Now I am going to go crazy and have weird nightmares if I try to sleep. I cannot go through that again! I need a plan. I got up and put on sweats over my pjs and made a call. Cal answered on the first ring.

"Hello, Angel. What's wrong?" He is on alert, huh.

"Cal, I need some things from the supermarket. If I make you a list, would you go for me? I promised not to leave the building tonight. If you do this, I will give you some of what I bake." I said the magic word because he said, "Hoah," and hung up on me. I fished a $100 bill out of my purse and finished my list.

Max barked twice and sat next to the door. He cracked me up. There was a knock on the door and I opened it to find Cal and Manny. They smiled and held out their hands. I handed over the list, some general directions and the money and they left. Max just barked again and followed me to the kitchen.

I took inventory of Carlos' pots and pans and laid out what I needed. This would work. Now I went over to his entertainment center and put 6 cds into the cd changer. I am glad I had brought some with me.

I added TLC, Missy Elliot, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Brittany Spears, and Destiny's Child. Sue me, I like hip hop and women with attitude. I used the restroom and put my hair into a ponytail. I even found an apron. I had to wait to remove my sweats until after the guys returned.

I know Ella bakes when she is happy, but I used to bake as an escape. Those ungrateful heathens from my past would not enter the kitchen when I was baking. They would leave me alone because they anticipated the snacks and they wanted to eat sooner. Stop it, Stephanie.

Anyway, I got really good at baking and since I am going to a family dinner tomorrow with Carlos, I am baking mini sweet potato pies. They are single serving already and I know the kids will like them. I feel good knowing I am taking something to the gathering.

A half hour later, Mission Grocery Shop was completed and I promised to call Manny and Cal to pick up their treats when it was ready. I took off my sweats and revealed my camo pjs from earlier. I blasted the music and got started in the kitchen, dancing and singing the whole time. This was going to really surprise Carlos.

 **Ranger POV**

Someone is trying to kill me. It is 0100 and I am still at this fucking break-in. This is ridiculous. I told Jason Reynolds when we did the walk through on his home that he should add sensors for the garage and for the apartment over the garage.

I made suggestions and he would be all condescending and tell me what he wanted. Now he is missing a car and someone has been using the apartment over the garage as a love nest. I told him that this was an inside job, but he insisted that I come out here personally.

Once I arrived, I asked was everyone that lived here at home and he said his teenaged daughter was at a friend's house for the weekend. I had just stared at him. Was this man for real? Now he wanted to make this my fault and there is just no way. I told him that if he had opted for the cameras that we would have evidence and we started the security survey over again.

This time, Mr. I Belong to a Country Club was going to take my advice. It is late and I was with Babe. It was great and if all movie nights go like that, I will make sure we have one every fucking week! I am glad that Babe promised to stay in my apartment.

Earlier, when I was waiting for Babe to come to my apartment, I had some healthy snacks ready and I was in an Army tee shirt and blue pajama pants. I kept these slipper boots Ella bought me on my feet so I could have a gun on me at all times.

I had called the control room and told them I was offline for the night unless it was an emergency. I heard Max before Babe knocked on the door and I let her inside and just stared at her. I took her large duffle bag and set it down, but it was her wardrobe that gave me pause. She was in baggy sweats and sneakers. Where was my playful Babe?

She kissed my cheek and closed the door, and then she started to strip. When she took off her sweatshirt, she was wearing a tiny camo tee shirt and when she took off her sweatpants, she was wearing little camo looking boxer shorts. She turned around to take off her sneakers and Dios she was wearing a thong because I could see the strings. She put on fuzzy slippers and took her hair down and beamed a smile at me.

"Ta da!" I was speechless and she just posed like that for a few moments, then she took my hand and pulled me into the living room. We sat side by side and damn she smelled so good!

"Babe, what perfume are you wearing? I love how it smells on you." She leaned into me. "It is called Magnifique and thank you, Carlos. Let's dance!" I watched her jump up and put a cd into the player. She was dancing to No Diggety. She looked so hot. I got up and spun her around and we danced through that song and into the next one. It was Ice Cube singing You Can Do It.

She sang along and dared me to match her moves. We danced to five songs that I could count before Babe said it was time to watch a movie and get something to drink. My body thought it was time for bed and I had just the right bedtime story for Babe.

She was back in bossy mode. "Now, I want you to watch the Princess Bride with me and you are allowed to talk over the movie and you are encouraged to act out the scenes and we can pause it when you are ready to talk about things with me." She bounced her little ass over to the dvd player and put in the movie. I was mesmerized.

Once she returned to her spot, she laid down on my couch and patted the spot in front of her. I laid there with her as the big spoon, but with my head pillowed on her breasts and she was stroking my scalp. Dios Mio. Babe was playing with fire. I was so fucking comfortable and we watched the movie and laughed at the kid not wanting to hear the mushy parts.

She paused the movie and told me about her childhood and wanting to be Wonder Woman. Babe told me she was not close to her sister who her mother thought was perfect. She explained how most Burg women thought and that it was like a jail sentence to her, but she had married a man that called himself Dickie. He was a dick because he cheated on her and she burned up all of his shit for revenge. Good girl.

She explained about Morelli and I know I growled again before she made me remember my promise. I still want to kick his hairy ass. Man, the guys even heard about the rumors and they laughed their asses off. We played the movie again and watched the Dread Pirate Roberts duel and outsmart the bad guys. Since she shared, it was my turn.

I paused the movie and started talking to Babe. I told her about being in a gang when I was younger and that I got caught stealing cars and how I was shipped to Miami to live with Abuela Rosa. Babe was quiet and she kept stroking my scalp and I told her about enlisting in the army and how Les was my cousin and Tank and Bobby were great friends that were a part of my unit through the Rangers.

At that point, I stopped talking and got up and started pacing. Babe stood in front of me and took my hands.

"Carlos, you do not have to tell me everything tonight and you never have to tell me something that is classified or that is not your story to tell. I will listen and I will keep your secrets. We all have bad things in our past." She hugged me.

"Now, how about you tell me what your mother used to call you when you were younger. You know she will tell me tomorrow and she will pull out the baby pics." I had laughed and relaxed again.

Babe is a good interrogator and I am glad she works for us now. She got me to tell her that Mama called me her wiggle worm and that I am the middle child. She now knows that my four sisters, Celia, Elena, Portia and Isabella used to make me play dress up with them and I had to wear a dress, too.

She howled laughing at me and I got offended and started to tickle her and she tackled me and we were rolling around on the floor. That was so fun. The best part was when I pinned Babe.

"I have you now, Babe." Instead of looking worried, she was just as excited as I was. She looked up at me and said, "Yes, you do have me now, Batman." I kissed her and we took it French.

The phone rang and I ignored it until it kept ringing. Even Max barked at us to stop making out on the floor. Fine. I got up to take the call and Babe restarted the movie. I stared at her the whole time she moved around my living room.

I barely listened to the sitrep that was being explained on the phone. She was taking the bowls to the kitchen and straightening up. Would she leave if I had to go out for a while? I growled and hung up.

"Babe, there was an alarm at a property and the owner is demanding that I come out there personally. Please stay in the apartment. I will be back." She just smiled at me.

"Go ahead and turn into Batman. I will wait here with Max until you return. I can watch a movie." She kissed me gently and pushed me towards my bedroom. I got changed and hugged her before I left.

Now I am sitting here with this self- righteous man who won't believe that his daughter has anything to do with his so called robbery. I keep telling him not to call the cops and that none of the sensors went off. He is in denial. His wife is on my side.

Finally, he concedes and they let me call her and pretend I am the police on speakerphone. She admits to letting her boyfriend Chas help her take the car. I just glared at Mr. Reynolds.

I left there after scheduling him for an upgrade and scowled all the way back to the building. To cheer myself up, I called Babe. She answered out of breath and there was music playing.

"Hey, Carlos. How was everything? Did you need to call the rest of the Justice League?" She is so silly.

"No, Babe, it was fine and I am on my way back now. Are you alright? Did you go to sleep?" I hope she did not have another nightmare.

"Nope. I am fine. When you get here, you can taste my pie and tell me if you think it is sweet enough." I almost crashed my car. What? I pulled over. Is she talking dirty to me?

"Babe, maybe we should talk about this when I get there. I need to concentrate on the road." She scoffs at me.

"Carlos, if you really don't want to taste it, I can just ask Cal and Manny. I figured they might just say it was good to spare my feelings." Joder me! (Fuck me)

I took a deep breath. There has to be a logical explanation for this. I know it is 0130 and we were kissing before I left, but I did not think we were at this stage yet.

"Babe, I will be there in 10 minutes and if you want me to, then I will taste your pie." I hoped she would not regret moving this fast with me.

I was ignoring the fact that she was going to ask Cal and Manny to taste it. What the hell was that about? Now I was irked again.

I made the drive in 8 minutes and I stopped on five to make entries to the server for the upgrades and tonight's calls, and then I went up to my floor. As soon as I opened the door, the music and the smell hit me. Wow, she has been baking?

I walked to the kitchen and watched Babe shake her ass and sing while she took a tray out of the oven. Oh. She baked pies. Well, that is a relief. I was trying to think of a way to send Cal and Manny on a nice field trip with a bottle of water and a knife. Now they are safe again. She even has on an apron.

Damn, now all I can think about is tasting her pie. She needs to stop all that gyrating. She is killing me. She touches the back of her neck and turns to see me. Babe smiles a huge smile and jumps into my arms with her legs around my waist. Of course I caught her. She looked adorable.

"Hey there, Soldier." She kissed me slowly and damn. There was a ding and she jumped down and put on her oven mitts again. I looked around and there were dozens of little pies on all of the counters in my kitchen.

Babe came back over to me with a fork and a pie. I took it and tasted her creation. It was delicious and I told her so. She just smiled and kissed my cheek and pushed me out of the kitchen.

"I have to pack these and put them into the refrigerator for tomorrow, Carlos. Get a shower and I will meet you in the bedroom." Wow. The dog followed me whining.

"You are not getting pie, Max." He gave me the sad eyes. I walked back into the kitchen and asked if he could eat that and she said just a little, so I ate most of it and gave Max the rest. It was a small pie and no one had to know about it.

I showered and put on a tee shirt and boxers and put my weapons away. Wow, Babe was good in the kitchen. I cannot wait to show her that I am good in the shower. Not yet, but soon. I lay there with my eyes closed thinking about her until I felt her weight on top of me.

"Goodnight, Carlos. I had a great time. I hope your family likes the pies I baked." I held her and rubbed her back.

"Babe, did you give Cal and Manny some pies?" She nods.

"Yes, they went to the market for me, Carlos. Do not freak out, I put on my sweats so they did not see my pajamas." Good.

"I am not sure we will make it out of the building with those pies, Babe. Cal and Manny are the worse gossips in the building." She giggles and moves around to tangle our legs together. I love sleeping like this. An indignant bark breaks the silence.

I look at Max. "You do not live here, Max and you are not sleeping in my bed." He growls at me. Babe gives me a pouty look. I am a badass, I can take the torture.

"Please, Carlos? He is still a puppy." I sigh and reach for the little faker that had started whining. I set the dog next to us and he lays down to sleep. He is cute.

"Goodnight, Babe. Are you working out with me at 0600?" She nods and kisses me.

"Yup. I want to make it a habit, Carlos. If I fight you, make me get up." I definitely will.

"Sweet dreams, Babe." She giggles off and on for the next few minutes. I sigh.

"What is it, Stephanie?" She looks at me.

"You thought I was talking dirty to you on the phone!" She laughs some more.

"Trust me, Batman. When I talk dirty to you, you will know it. Goodnight." She snuggles and drifts off. Damn, she will be the death of me.


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This chapter has my take on a deli prank for Morelli. I remember something similar was done in a fic with using deli meat, but that was a different scenario. I don't remember who wrote it, but I thought it would be funny used against Morelli.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **We also meet Ranger's family which is why this chapter is so long. Thanks for your messages!**

 **Ranger POV**

So Babe has been on the phone since we got back from working out. I watched her eat breakfast while carrying on whispered conversations. I have tried not to develop a complex about it, but she is ignoring me. It is ironic that I cannot keep my eyes off of her and she does not even know I am in the room right now. Who is she talking to? She is laughing and giggling and it is starting to irk me.

I loved waking up with Steph in my arms and she just stretched and got ready for the gym. All of the men, even those who worked last night, were at the gym this morning. Steph is great for morale. Max worked out again this morning.

She looks cute with her hair pulled back by a glittery black headband and she is wearing a black denim cargo skirt and a turquoise long sleeved tee shirt that says "Say my Name" across the front in black sparkly letters. I cannot get over how lively she has been since I got her out of the hospital.

I sigh inwardly. Now she is on the phone talking to one of the guys and she is begging him for something. I just cannot tell what yet. Finally she hangs up and turns to me. Now she notices? I give her my blank look. Babe giggles and sits on my lap.

'Hey you. I am sorry for taking so long, Carlos." She kisses me and moans against my mouth. She kisses me against my jaw and neck and over to my ear. My hands go to her hair and I grab handfuls of it. I love her hair.

"Batman, we are cool, right? I mean we are friends?" What? This sounds like a setup. I look at her steadily while pulling her closer.

"Si, Babe. We are friends." I want to be more than friends. She bats her eyelashes at me and kisses my cheek.

"Wonderful. So, you should call your mother and volunteer to bring like turkey kielbasa or something to the cookout this afternoon." What? I thought it was just a dinner. What did Tia Ella do?

"Babe, this is supposed to be a family dinner. I don't have to bring anything but you." She rubs my chest. Where is the dog?

"Babe, where is Max?" She smiles at me.

"Cal and Manny said they wanted to take him for a walk, so I agreed as long as they were back by 1300 because we are leaving at 1330." That's nice. What?

"Babe, we are going to a family dinner, not a cookout and what do you mean we are going to leave at 1330? It is 1100 right now. What could they possibly be doing with the puppy for that long?" She kisses my ear again.

"Calm down, Carlos. They are picking up Max's special collar and having the tracker placed into it, then they are taking Max to the groomer. Now, please call your mother. I need to go to my apartment and check outfits for the cookout. I like being with you, Carlos." She kisses me deeply and grabs her bag on her way out of the door.

What happened? I was enjoying cuddling with her. She had better be coming back. Where am I getting this kielbasa from anyway? I take a deep breath and dial my mother's number. Yes I have it programmed, but this way takes longer.

She answers on the second ring. "Hola, Carlitos! Ella told me that you are coming today so I made some calls and we are cooking out instead of having a boring little dinner. The kids can play and it will be fine. You are coming and I will not accept any excuses. All of your sisters will be here as well."

Three of my sisters are married with children. That means at least 10 more people will be there. She is making it a circus.

"Mama, why are there so many people? Why a cookout? It is the end of September, Mama. We live in New Jersey, not Miami." She scoffs at me and starts babbling about how nice a day it is and she is not getting any younger and she wants to see all of her ninos together before she dies and Abuela Rosa is coming and do I want to disappoint her. Wow. She is trying really hard to make sure I will be there.

"Mama, I am coming. Please calm down. I wanted to ask if I should bring turkey kielbasa." She squeals. Dios, this woman.

"Gracias, Carlitos. That is a great idea. Get the rolls to go with them and yes you may get wheat rolls. I will see you and Estefania at 2pm. Be on time, Carlitos or else. Adios." She hangs up on me.

I am wearing jeans and a Rutger's sweatshirt. Babe approved it. She buzzed at me when I chose a black button down shirt. She said I look like Carlos in this sweatshirt and that maybe she has a crush on Carlos. I had put on the sweatshirt because she liked it.

I go to Babe's apartment and let myself inside. She was in her bedroom on the phone again and she had clothes strewn over the bed. She was pacing and talking on the phone. I took the phone from her and hung it up and kissed her. She moaned and her arms went around my neck.

"Wow, Batman. What did I do to deserve that?" She is playing with my hair. I love that. So does Max. Does Babe think I am her pet?

"Stephanie, where am I getting kielbasa from and why are you constantly on the phone? What is going on?" She looks away and she takes a deep breath.

"Look, I gave Maria Givenchy some money to have a sale today as well as a giveaway. All you need to do is go to Givenchy's and ask for 10 pounds of turkey kielbasa freshly cut." I stare her down and she caves.

"Um, also, you could probably tell her a number that I will write down so she will give you free iced tea." She is killing me.

"Babe, please just tell me what the scheme is." She pushes me into a chair and sits on my lap.

"So, first of all, you know Gram and you know she is helping me to mess with Morelli. All of the cops today will get a free 4" shortie sandwich and she is calling it a Morelli to celebrate his freedom. All sales of kielbasa and sausages will get four inches free for every foot sold." I continue to stare at her.

"Well, if you tell her your measurement and it beats Morelli's, you get a free gallon of iced tea." Babe is so silly.

"How would she know that I am telling the truth?" She just kisses me and smiles.

"Carlos, the women run this town. Your measurement has to be written by me with my phone number. She will call and verify any that seem off. It doesn't matter. The point is that there will be a parade of men going into Givenchy's getting free iced tea for having a dick bigger than Morelli's!" She giggles.

"Babe, you forgot the most important thing." She looks perplexed.

"What?" I grind into her ass which is conveniently in my lap.

"You don't know my measurement and I am not showing you for some prank. You are making me feel cheap." I said that with a straight face. I don't need a reason to show Babe my dick. I don't know how I feel about Maria Givenchy knowing my size. She will tell the whole town. Oh yes. She will tell the whole town. I look at Babe. She looks shocked.

"Please? I won't touch it or anything. You can measure it yourself. I just have to watch you do it." Is she serious?

"The guys all agreed to get a woman to verify them. They let the Clip N Curl ladies grope them. The overall response is that they love the chance to get one over on Morelli. None of the guys like him. I declined offers to verify measurements for them."

I wanted names and I wanted them now.

"Babe, who asked you to look at their dick?" She just smiles and gets up.

"It doesn't matter since I said no, Carlos. If you don't want to play, then nevermind. I can go and get the kielbasa." She turns back to her clothes and puts outfits together.

She knows she has me, but I must save face. "What is in it for me, Babe? I want to pick your outfit for the cookout today and I want to choose your outfit for tomorrow as well."

She blinks at me. "What is tomorrow?" I pull her close again.

"I want you to go to dinner with me. I know it is a Sunday, but we are both off work and I would like to take you on a date. What do you say?" I get a date out of this, too. Go me.

She smiles a huge smile at me and kisses me quickly. "Deal. Whip it out, I will get a ruler." I cannot believe I am doing this. She comes back and kisses me for a long while, and then she gets to her knees and waits. She holds the ruler and hums and looks at it while I measure my dick. She gasps at the number. Heh heh.

"Wow, Batman. I need a moment." She sniffs and leaves the room. What is wrong with her? Is she worried about having sex with me or something? I fix my clothes and follow her to the kitchen. She is drinking juice.

"Babe, please tell me what is wrong." She sighs.

"Ok. You are better than Morelli." I know that already.

"Babe, please clarify." She takes a deep breath.

"I feel like I got touched by an angel or something." I held her hands and listened to her story.

"Carlos, before I caught Morelli for being FTA, I thought that maybe I would date him. I mean I do know him, but I kept ignoring all of his negative traits. I was going to settle for him. I thought you were unattainable and that you would not be interested in me." I kissed her forehead. That will never happen.

"You have been so great to me and taking that measurement just now was another reminder of what I almost talked myself out of. I want a chance with you and I am going for it." She straightens her posture and puts her glass in the sink.

"Now stop getting a swollen head about things. You are more than just your inseam measurement. You are not like other guys. Hug me and come pick out my outfit."

She hugs me and walks back to her bedroom. Wow. She thought I was unattainable. She was going to settle for Morelli? I almost lost a chance with Steph? I take a deep breath myself. Ok. Change the subject. I am definitely picking a skirt. Maybe a dress. No! Jeans. No! A dress. Now I know why she has so many clothes on the bed. I know!

"Babe, in order to choose, I want a fashion show. We have an hour before we need to get ready and we can go to the deli. Go and change and let me decide." She kisses me and takes the first outfit into the bathroom with her.

Babe is the one who was unattainable. I had no clue what she was thinking or what she really wanted. Now I am much closer to having that answer and I love being me today. I hope Mama and the girls do not scare her away.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

"Yo, Joe. Congrats on the acquittal, man." I nod at Garrett and keep walking. "Hey, Morelli! Way to go!" I nod at Thompson and sit at my seat.

What is going on? After last night, I felt a little off. I still don't know where Cupcake lives and nobody can tell me. I have these rumors about me going around and I am tired of answering the phone. A throat clears and I look up.

"Yes, Carl?" He smiles and he is eating a small sandwich that smells delicious.

"Hey, man. Givenchy's is giving away free brats or kielbasa sandwiches to cops today in your honor!" Wow. Finally I am getting the recognition I deserve.

"Why are they so small, Carl?" He laughs really loudly.

"Maria says she has it on good authority that this the right size, Joe." What?

"What do you mean by that, Carl?" He smirks at me.

"Maria says that Juliana Marconni dated you recently and she confirmed your size. That is the size of the brats and sausages she is giving out for free to cops today just for you!" What the fucking hell?

"That is not true, Carl!" He shakes his head and looks sadly at me.

"Morelli, women talk and if more than two of them say the same thing, you know they are telling the truth. You have been hitting the sheets a lot lately. Each of those women would know. I got my free gallon of iced tea because my number beat yours!" He walks away laughing and I sit there steaming mad.

I look at the clock and decide to go over there. She would take down my name from this promotion! Free iced tea because they are bigger than me? I cannot believe this shit.

When I parked outside the deli, I noticed a line that reached down the block. There were men in line and older ladies. I got in line instead of barging in there. I noticed Edna in the line. She was talking to Manoso. They had to be right in front of me. I could hear their conversation.

"Come on, Hot Stuff. If you tell me, I promise I will behave for the rest of the year."

"Come on, Mrs. Mazur. You don't even believe that yourself." He holds her hand to keep it off his ass.

"I know you have a good number, Cutie. If you tell me, I will promise to stop groping you for the rest of this year." He smiles at her.

"Mrs. Mazur, I am not here to give Maria my measurement. I am here to buy food for a cookout." She slaps his chest.

"I call shenanigans. You have to tell her. Are you ashamed or something?"

He chuckles. "No, Ma'am. I am definitely not ashamed." He winks at her.

"I will get loud and make a huge scene, Cutie. Just tell me. I won't tell anyone." He kisses her hand.

"Mrs. Mazur, I am not brave like Detective Morelli. I do not want the whole town to know the size of my equipment." What?

"Nonsense. I bet you showed someone today. Did she smile?" He just smiles at her again.

"No comment, Mrs. Mazur." She pulls him ahead in the line.

It is their turn. I see guys waving at me and carrying huge jugs of tea. I can finally see the sign in the window that reads "Free 4 inch brat or sausage to all policemen and women today in honor of Joe Morelli being free!" The 4inch and Joe Morelli were bigger than the rest of the words. I catch up to Manoso and Edna.

"Maria, please I do not need the iced tea. Just keep it or give it to some thirsty less endowed man." She giggles and shakes her head.

"No, Mr. Manoso. That is against the rules today. I know you were told about it. Just show me the number and if you are larger than Detective Morelli, I will give you a free jug of iced tea. Here is your purchase." He sighs and hands her the number. She reads it and gasps.

"What does it say, Girlie?" Edna leans over. Manoso takes back the paper and rips it up and puts the pieces into his pocket.

"I think you deserve two jugs, Mr. Manoso. You need to stay hydrated after all. Tell your guys they are always welcome in here. They were ever so polite today. This is my best sale ever!" He smiles at her and escorts Edna out of the store. Maria turns to me and her smile looks forced.

"Hello, Detective Morelli. Would you like a brat or a sausage for your free sandwich?" I glare at her.

"I want you to take my name off that sign! I am being lied about. I am bigger than 4 inches!" She just looks at me sadly.

"Listen, Detective Morelli, I need you to calm down. This is a family establishment. The children do not know what the sale is about. If you stay quiet, they won't be scarred for life. Now, do you want the sandwich or not?" I slam my hand down on the counter and point with my other arm at the display window.

"I want that fucking sign taken down! You have no right to display false information about me!" There is a crowd all around me. A woman steps forward. Is that Paula? Paulette? Something like that.

"Joe, we went out last week and one thing led to another. That sign is true." Another woman stepped forward. I think her name is Rochelle.

"Joey you took me to Pino's and back to your place. The number on that sign is the truth. They need to offer refunds in your name because I totally wish I had gotten my money back that I spent buying an outfit to go on a date with you. You are not a considerate lover." She curls her lip at me.

More women stepped forward. Each one says that I am 4 inches. I feel like I am having a nightmare. Finally, I see my mother and she is standing there in the crowd with Grandma Bella. This is more than I can take.

"Shut the fuck up you bitches!" Everyone goes quiet except one voice.

"This will make an excellent Youtube clip. I will call it 'Little Joe has a tantrum'. I can't believe you called these girls names after you did not satisfy them. For shame, Little Joe. See you, kiddies. I have things to do." Edna leaves. Dammit!

I look around at all of the women and my mother. All of them are looking at me like I am a pile of shit. I take the sandwich and leave. I make my way back to my car past the huge crowd thinking one thing. I should have stayed at the station. No, I should have stayed in bed. I am never living this down.

 **Stephanie POV**

I watched the Youtube clip that Hector helped Gram post while I was riding in the car with Carlos. We took my car again. Max is riding in the back in his carseat and we are listening to Mariah Carey because my car, my rules.

"Oh, this is so wonderful! I love it when a plan comes together! Thank you so much for doing that, Carlos. I know you left before Gram video taped it, but he had a whole hissy fit! I am so glad it worked." He just smiles and kisses my hand.

He was a good sport today. I am dressed in a denim skirt that has ruffles and comes to mid thigh. There are strips of material so it looks like a hobo skirt. The material is turquoise, black, grey and white.

My top is a peasant blouse that is white. My tank top is turquoise. I am wearing platform black and silver sandals and my hair is pulled into a high ponytail. Carlos said I looked carefree. He is wearing a Rutger's long sleeved tee shirt and jeans with his boots. We compromised on the hoodie jacket. He is wearing diamond studs so we match.

Carlos sighs and parks the car. "What is it, Batman?" He kisses me for almost a whole minute. "Babe, I want you to know that I care about you and nothing my family says or does will change that. I like what we have together and I hope our feelings will grow. My mother is crazy and my Abuela is sweet. Good luck, Babe."

I kiss his cheek and get out of the car and put Max on his leash. I smile at my puppy and I take the cake carriers that have my pies inside. Carlos carries the meat, bread and iced tea. She gave him three jugs.

Maria called me and said I had better hold onto him and that she would not give out his information, but she would say he is larger than normal. I just giggled at how much fun I am having controlling the gossip in town.

I see many cars on the block and we walk past eight cars before we come to a nice colonial styled home set back from the street with a cute little driveway that seems to be bursting with kids.

A nice looking older gentleman walks up to us and smiles. "Hola, are you lost? I can give you directions. I wish someone would give my son directions. He seems to have forgotten the way home and he hardly ever visits la familia." I giggle and Carlos hangs his head and mutters.

"Hello, I am Stephanie and this is my boyfriend Carlos. We were invited and we brought kielbasa and dessert. This is my puppy Max. Carlos bought him for me." He hugs me and takes the cake carriers from me.

"I am Ricardo. Welcome to my home. Estefania you are muy bonita, very pretty. What do you see in my son?" I walk away with him.

"He is amazing and brave, and he makes me smile, Ricardo." He kisses my cheek.

"Good answer, Chica. Take the food to the cocina. Ana is in there. Just follow the sounds of female giggling." I look back and Carlos is right behind me.

"Boyfriend, Babe?" I nod at him.

"Yup, I am claiming dibs. I want to make sure I have you before all of the women in town start clamoring for your attention, Batman." He leans over and kisses me.

"Let me take this food out back. Go ahead and meet Mama. Tell her I said you are my novia." I watched him walk away.

Max and I walked into the kitchen and I saw several women crowded around. You know that scene on Friends where you meet Joey's sisters and they are dressed alike and they all look alike? That is what I am seeing right now. They are all wearing shades of blue and they all have dark brown hair that is slightly curly and dark brown eyes like Carlos. They are also all gorgeous.

"Hello. I am Stephanie, but you can call me Steph. I baked some mini sweet potato pies. This is my puppy Max. Carlos bought him for me." They gasp.

"What do you think, Celia?" She turns to another woman.

"I don't know, Elena. Tia Ella said that Ricky has a friend named Stephanie, but I know my robot brother would not have a puppy." Yet another woman leans forward to stare at me.

"Portia, Ricky must really like her, to bring her to meet us?" That was Isabella. Well she is the only one left.

"Do you think she baked those pies to be a brown noser?" She is shoved.

"If she did, it worked! I am Celia, Steph. I am the oldest. Ignore these other fools." She smiles and takes the cake carriers out of my hands. Max barks and they coo.

Suddenly I am attacked into a hug. "Hola, Estefania! I am Ana, Carlitos' mother. You are so pretty! Turn around. Let me look at your hips." Is she serious? I spin around and she laughs.

"I was joking. So what does Carlitos call you, Estefania?" I smile at her.

"He calls me Babe and he said to tell you that I am his novia." She lights up in joy and crosses herself. She crosses to an older lady that must be Abuela Rosa and she starts telling her in rapid fire Spanish about me.

Another sister sidles up to me. "So, I am Elena. I heard you were a bounty hunter. Is that how you met Ricky?" I sat down and put Max into my lap.

"Yes, Elena, I was a bounty hunter, and though I had some success in that field I have decided to use my marketing and business degree to work at Rangeman. I do research and client relations." She looks disappointed like she was hoping I gave a bad answer or something.

"I am Portia. So are you with Ricky because he is the bad boy Ranger and all of that? He is rich, too, huh?" Wow. Try harder, Latina.

"Portia, I enjoy spending time with Carlos. I don't judge a person by how much they earn but by how generous they are with their time and how they treat their friends. The main reason I care about Carlos is that he respects me and he knows I want to earn my own money." Max growls at her.

"I am Isabella. How did you get Ricky to wear normal clothes?" She is the youngest and maybe the nicest besides Celia.

"Isabella, I explained to him that he should dress as Ricky today. He can be a CEO or a bounty hunter another time, but today he is a brother and a son. I simply asked is all." She nods and goes back to stirring something.

Ana has been translating the conversation to Abuela Rosa. She gets up and comes over to sit next to me. She tells me in Spanish that I am good for her Ricky and that she tasted my pie and it was delicious. I smiled. She said she will give me her Viejo ropa recipe for my pie recipe.

I respond to her in Spanish that Carlos is good for me, too and that she has a deal. She hands me paper and a pen and I giggle and write down the recipe in Spanish and she does the same. When we are finished, we trade and she hugs me.

I look up and all of Carlos' sisters look shocked. Celia winks at me. Portia just says, "You speak Spanish?" I nod and smile. I get up and set Max on the floor. "Yes. I also speak Italian, Portia. It was nice meeting you ladies. I am taking my puppy outside."

I tell Abuela Rosa that my phone number is on the recipe and she should call me so we can have brunch before she goes back to Miami. She nods and agrees to call me. I feel like I had a breakdance fight or something like on you got served. They really came at me, but I scored! Go me.

When I get outside, Carlos looks over from the smoky barbeque and gives me the raised eyebrow. I blow him a kiss and run over to the kids to blow bubbles with them. They are more my speed anyhow.

 **Ranger POV**

"So, she is cute, Ricky." I look at my father. He is starting off slowly.

"Yes, Babe is beautiful, but that is not why I care about her. She has fire, Papa. She is not afraid of me and she cares about all of me. She hates to let me spend money on her. She likes to pay her own way." He nods and turns the meat.

My cousin Pedro whistles. "Ricky, is that white girl with you? She looks hot!" I growl at him.

"Si, Pedro, she is my novia. Leave her alone. She is armed and her puppy will hurt you." He just smiles at me.

"So you really like her, huh?" I look at Javier.

"Yes, Javi, though like is not a strong enough word." I wonder who is next.

"So did you hit that yet? Tell us how she is, Primo." I punch Benji, Lester's younger brother and he falls to the ground.

"Stop being disrespectful of my Babe, Benji. Family or not, I will hurt you." He coughs and nods. I help him up.

"Estefania is very beautiful, Carlos. There she is now." I follow Papa's line of sight and see her. I want to ask her if she is okay. I know my sisters are brutal. She smiles and blows me a kiss. I wink at her and she walks over to the kids and they let her play with bubbles. She is soon chasing after them and they love playing with Max.

"Ricardo, pay attention!" I look at my father.

"Si, Papa?" He hands me a platter of cooked meat and I carry it to the table and set it down. I walk over to where Babe is sitting. She has my little nephew Joaquin in her lap. He is Celia's son and he is four years old.

"Hey there, Babe. The food is ready." She continues reading to Woki.

"Yes, Carlos. I will be over there in a minute. Joaquin wanted to hear this story and I said I would read it for him, right, Woki?" He grins and kisses her cheek.

"Estefania es muy bonita, Tio Ric." (Stephanie is very pretty, Uncle Ric.)

I grin. "I agree with you, Woki." Babe whispers to him and he nods and runs off saying he will be back.

"Should I be worried, Babe?" She stands up and kisses me gently and takes my hand.

"Nope. I still have dibs on you, Carlos. Woki is using the bathroom, and then we are eating together. The girls said he was acting like a baby and they teased him because he cannot read by himself. I told him we could be friends and I know how to read, so we were hanging out. Besides, Max likes him. He is so cute." She sighs. She cracks me up calling dibs on me.

Woki comes running outside and I hear Celia yelling at him. He ignores her and launches himself at Babe. She picks him up and carries him over to make a plate. She looks back at me and winks and I see her talking to him and they are like best friends.

"Do you think she will take him home with her, Ricky?" I turn to Celia.

"It will be close. Maybe Woki will stow away in the car. How mean were you all to Babe?" She sighs.

"Isa and I were nice, but Elena and Portia acted like she only likes you for your money and they made it sound like she controls you with sex, Ricky." Wow. I laughed.

"Celia, we are not intimate at this time. We have been friends and we have recently become closer. Babe just told me today that I am her boyfriend. Our relationship is new. So how did she do?" Celia sucks her teeth.

"She traded recipes with Abuela Rosa and they talked in Spanish! They are having brunch this week! Her pies are delicious and she told Portia and Elena that she cares about the real you. Mama was almost in tears. I say she rocked it." So would I.

" Aww, look at my baby laying on her like that. I think he has a little baby crush on your novia, Ricky. You better get over there." I smile and watch Babe with Woki. They do look adorable.

"Okay, Celia. Thanks for telling me what happened." She hugs me.

"It was funny and I am glad you came to visit. Family is important, Ricky." I hugged her back.

"Ok. I am going over there before the guys try to get past the puppy." She laughs as I walk away.

 **Stephanie POV**

"And I want to be in the army like Tio Ric!" I smile at this little boy. He told me I should fix my own plate first. He pulled out my chair for me, and then he climbed into my lap. I want to steal him. I cannot stop playing with his curly hair.

"Joaquin, that is nice. Do you like superheroes?" He grins his little ketchup smile at me.

"Si! I like Batman! He has cool cars. Your puppy likes Batman, too!" Max had a diamond Batman symbol on his collar. Cal is so funny.

"Yes, and I like Batman, too." I feel the tingle and I look up.

"That's good to hear, Babe. Are you finished eating, Joaquin? Your mother wants you. I am sure Steph will save you a pie for later." He looks at me and I wipe his face and kiss his forehead. He hugs me and runs away in search of his mother.

"Was Batman jealous?" He smiles and nods at me.

"Yes, very. I know if I let you, you will bring him home with you and I do not want to share you with an adorable Woki and an adorable Max." I shove his shoulder.

"No one could ever take your place, Carlos. Ever." He leans towards me and kisses me.

"Stop sweet talking me, woman." I laugh at him and eat my food. He puts his arm around the back of my chair and we just enjoy ourselves. I know people are watching, but I don't care. I got Morelli talked about and embarrassed. I made friends with a cute little boy. Look where I am right now. I am at a cookout with my boyfriend. My boyfriend is Batman! Best day ever.


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This chapter is slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph. Am I rambling too much? That thought occurred to me.**

 **I am posting this chapter and the next one close together, and then I am back in my zone for Nena. Sorry to keep you all waiting.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages!**

 **Steph POV**

My phone rang waking me up. I shift in the bed. Carlos moans and pulls me closer to him. I kiss his lips gently and reach for the phone. I look at the time and it is 0300. "What?"

"Little Girl, I need you to do me a favor." What does Tank need?

"What is up, Tank?" He sighs.

"See, Manny got shot on a surveillance that turned into a takedown and the doctors over here are being intentionally vague and strict. I have tried to explain about guards and that we have his medical proxy, but they see us in our black clothes and stop listening. I am very tired, Little Girl and they are speaking medical terminology to me. It sounds like on Charlie Brown." I get out of bed.

"Tank, I am on my way. Send all but two guys and you home. Try to smile. Give me twenty minutes."

I put on ripped jeans and an Xavier sweatshirt and I pull my hair into a loose bun. I put on my 5" CAT boots and put my gun into my waistband. I write Carlos a note and kiss him again. The last thing I grab is my new jacket. Ella found them and ordered them with overnight delivery. It looks like a flannel shirt, but it is a bullet proof jacket. Mine is black, grey and white. I drop Max off on the 5th floor and head to the hospital.

When I enter the ward I know that this will out me to Morelli, but my guys are more important. Tank makes a beeline for me. I give him a go cup of coffee. "Calm down, Tank. Let me go and talk to the nurses. What is his last name?" He drinks from the cup.

"His name is Manuel Suarez." I nod and walk over to the nurse's station. I spot Jenna Womack. She was in the same year as me and she was in the homecoming court. For the right gossip, she will be my best friend.

"Hello, Jenna." She brightens.

"Hello, Steph! What is going on? Why are you here?" This is too easy.

"Jenna, one of my co-workers got shot and his family lives out of town. You see that big tall guy over there?" I point to Tank. She nods and licks her lips.

"He is in charge right now and he is kind of shy. He just wants to make sure that Manny is okay, but the doctors won't listen to him because of his size. The poor thing. He needs a good woman. He is a great guy and he was an army Ranger." We stare at Tank some more. I lean in close to Jenna.

"I heard he got two jugs of iced tea from Maria yesterday, too. His name is Tank. I came here to help him. So, can we check on Manny and maybe leave a bodyguard or two at his door?" She looks like she is trying to undress Tank in her head.

"Sure, Steph. You know he was quiet when he came here to visit you. I just thought he was mean or something. That poor guy! Do you think he would go out for coffee with me?" I smile and nod at her. She writes down her number and I walk away with Manny's room number.

"Tank, here is Jenna's number. She said she would like to have coffee with you. Manny is in room 2512. Let's hit it." He smiles and hugs me. We make our way to the room and go inside.

"Hello, Manny. Are you trying to get more pie out of me?" He smiles and waves at me. Where is he hurt?

"Hey, Steph. I got shot in the back, but I was wearing my vest and my jacket because it got cool outside. I was knocked out and they brought me here. I can leave as soon as you guys sign the paperwork. I will have bruising, but that is it. These jackets are the shit. I love Ella." Wow. I love her, too.

"Tank is on paperwork. I just came to translate Rangeman to Burg. I have to go, Sweetie. Switch with someone for desk duty for a day or so. I will bake you a pie if you get me the ingredients." I kiss his cheek and leave taking the stairs. I get to my car and I am almost back at Rangeman when my phone rings again.

"Hello?" He sighs.

"Donde estas, Estefania? El perro no esta aqui." He must be really tired. He wants to know where Max and I are.

"I am almost back, Carlos. Max is in the control room. I will be there in ten minutes, okay?" He mumbles.

"Si." He hangs up. Wow. I park and I go and pick up Max and make it to my apartment within the ten minutes. I strip to a tee shirt and my panties and get into the bed. Carlos pins me to the bed and kisses me. We roll so that I am on top of him like always and he takes my ponytail out so he can play with my hair.

"Take me with you next time." He says it quietly. I kiss him again.

"Yes, Carlos. I wanted to let you sleep. You were so tired from yesterday." He hugs me tighter.

"You were gone, Babe. I thought I dreamed everything, but then I know this is not my room." I am officially in love with sleepy Carlos. I stroke his hair and me moans again.

"I love when you do that. My Abuela told me to keep you close, Babe. I promised her. When is your brunch?"

"She wants to go on Tuesday." He nods. Max barks and I pick him up and put him on the bed.

"I went to the Burg and told them that I work here, so incoming." He shrugs.

"Babe, Morelli cannot get into this building and I am not worried about him. The guys know not to give out your number. Just be careful." I agree.

"Carlos, promise you will wear a jacket or a vest on all takedowns." He opens his eyes.

"Yes, Steph. I promise, and you do the same." I frown.

"I am not doing takedowns, but I will take a jacket to onsite meetings, okay?" He smiles and goes back to sleep. Carlos told me that he sleeps better when I am there, so we can take turns, but he is sleeping with me from now on. I just smiled and nodded.

His family ate all of my pies and Woki tried to come home with me. Celia said I can take him to the park one day this week and he made me promise to call him. He walked me to the car. He is so adorable.

I know it is new, but I really want our relationship to work. I hope we can stay professional during work hours. I like how open we are with each other when we are "home". Carlos moans.

"Stop thinking so loudly, Babe. Do you need help getting to sleep, Querida?" Whew. My hormones are like yes please, but I know we should wait.

"I am fine. Sorry, Carlos." He turns his back to me and I cuddle as the big spoon and wrap my legs around his. I kiss his head and drift off to sleep.

 **Ranger POV**

Damn. I think I am in love. It is 0630 and I have not left the bed because Babe is sprawled all over me and I don't want to move. When I woke up to use the bathroom and she was not here, I was worried. I read her note, but it did not have an ETA for her, so I called her. I love that she knows Spanish. She kissed me and held me and I never want to sleep alone again.

Tonight is our first real date and I look forward to it. I even have four guys that volunteered to come like they are on a date to have our backs. We are not going to Rossini's. We are going to the Waterhouse. It is a seafood restaurant that is upscale. I just want to see Babe dressed up. I have chosen a cobalt blue halter dress that has a kind of flared skirt.

I asked that she wear her hair wild and loose and that she uses her thigh holster. She agreed instantly. She said she wants to take her safety seriously. She even took her gun in the middle of the night. Babe is good at stealth if she got away from my clutches and left without me knowing. She snores a little and she wrinkles her nose, too. Max barks and I look at him.

"Fine, your Highness. I am coming."

I shake her. "Yes, Carlos?" She sounds so sexy. I kiss her gently.

"Querida, I am taking Max out. Get up and we can work out and come back and make breakfast together." She smiles.

"Together, aren't you tired of me? Who do you usually hang with, Carlos?" Tank sometimes, but I am a loner.

"Yes, together, Steph. Sometimes, I hang with Tank. I will review the payroll program this afternoon, and I will look at my proposals for the week, but today I am all yours. I am not on call. That is also why Tank called you instead of me. I will be back, Babe." I put my jeans back on and take Max outside.

Lester sidles up to me while I watch Max patrol the lot. "Hey Cuz, I heard from Pedro and Tio Rick that you are in love. Does Beautiful know about this woman?" Is he kidding me?

"Lester, I took Babe home with me yesterday." He looks shocked.

"Wow, Cuz. Are you sure she does not have a thing for me? I thought we had a moment that time in the break room." I just laugh and watch Max.

"All of her ideas worked for the FTAs. The guys at Dave and Buster's should be an easy take down today. She is a good hire and all of the guys like her. So can you get her to bake me a pie?" I smile at him.

"You will have to barter with her yourself and then you will have to pick up extra monitor shifts for eating pie." He just grins.

"Nope. Manny needs the extra desk duty for a couple of days. Stop being all extra strict. I heard she put Portia into her place and that Abuela loves her." I smile at the memory.

"Yes. They kept talking in Spanish and mostly they were trading recipes. I think they are right, Les. I might be in love, but I am not rushing anything. Do not gossip about us. Babe does not want to flaunt our relationship. How was it at the deli yesterday?"

He laughs. "It was great. We talked to Maria and asked about the meats and she made a big show of taking our measurements on the slips of paper. She was very funny and her store was packed all day yesterday. We cooked out on the roof using George Forman grills and then we played poker. It was a nice evening. So, can I have the penthouse since you don't sleep there anymore?" I laugh and shake my head at him. He is a mess.

"No, Les. I will alternate where I sleep and do not tell everyone my business." He looks at me like I am dumb.

"Carlos, the whole building has cameras. You need to be aware of your surroundings. None of us think she got the job because of you. We can tell she is smart and very capable. She is also a good shot. You are more human around her, so we all automatically love her. Now I am going to work out."

I follow him into the building, but I go to my apartment and change into workout clothes. When I get back to Babe's apartment, she is standing there waiting for me.

"Hey there, Ranger. Can you tell my boyfriend Carlos that I owe him a massage later?" Max barks. I kiss her again. I never get tired of kissing her.

"Thanks, Babe. I loved the massage before and I think you should tell my novia that I will rub her feet tonight. I pull her out of the apartment, but I do not miss her huge smile. Wow, she is pretty. We pass Ella and Steph tells her we will cook our own breakfast. Ella glares at Steph until she promises to trade recipes with her, too. They are so funny.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

In addition to everyone talking about me yesterday, I had to endure a lecture from my mother and another one from the chief. He saw the Youtube clip and said if I do something like that again, he is putting it into my file as conduct not becoming of a police officer. He said I am on probation and if I cannot handle being a detective, he will bust me back to a uniform.

My mother spent two hours yesterday bemoaning the fact that she won't have grandchildren because I am too small to attract a woman and then I am too rude to keep one. By the time I left her house, she was crying and she said she would continue to pray for me. I am glad today is Sunday and I have the day off. My phone rang and it snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yes?" If it was another call about my dick I was going to lose it.

"Joe this is Mooch. I heard from Kevin Johnson who heard it from Fred Watts that Jenna Womack at St. Francis' is going on a date with one of Manoso's guys." So fucking what?

"So what?" He sounds aggravated with me.

"Jenna said Stephanie set her up with him because she said he was shy and that he is her co-worker. She works for Manoso!" Motherfucker!

"Are you sure?" He scoffs at me.

"Yes, Joe. Anyway, she is not lost. She got a new job. I heard she has a company car and everything. I got that one from Mr. Molecki and he is friends with her dad, so he would know." I hate Manoso.

"Thanks, Mooch, I will talk to you later." I hang up and look up the number there.

The call is answered immediately. "Rangeman, this is Jacob speaking how may I direct your call?" He sounds all extra polite.

"I want to speak with Stephanie Plum." He goes silent.

"Sir, Miss Plum is not on shift at this time. Do you need assistance? I would be glad to transfer you to someone that could help you with your security needs." This guy is awfully chipper.

"I am a friend of hers. She would want to talk to me."

"Sir, this is the business line you called. If you are friends with Miss Plum, you will need to contact her on her personal line." Dammit.

"She changed the number and I don't have it. Can you give it to me?"

"Sir, I am not allowed to give out personal information. We are a security company after all." He seems like he is making fun of me.

"I am a police detective."

"That is wonderful, sir, but unless Miss Plum is a suspect in a criminal investigation, or I am served with a warrant, I cannot use your job title to breach security. I would lose my job, sir."

I try to count to ten forwards and backwards so I do not yell. I am so fucking frustrated. The polite goon breaks the silence.

"Do you want to speak to someone about having security installed at your home or business?" Hell no.

"No, thank you."

"Then I need to terminate this call. Have a pleasant day and stay safe." He hangs up. I call her best friend. I know Mary Lou Stankovic has her new number.

"Good morning, Stankovic residence. Jack! Stop writing on your brother! I can still see you!" Sheesh. I forgot she has three kids and they are 6, 7, and 8. She got married right after high school.

"Mary Lou, hello this is Joe Morelli." She says hello and yells at her kids again.

"That is it! Next Sunday you will go to Sunday school and the main service, Jamie! That is what you get for using the glue. I am leaving your hands stuck to your face, too."

"So, I am calling because I am looking for Cupcake."

"Is this a police problem, Joe? Did something else happen to her?"

I open my mouth to answer her and she yells again.

"Put the dog down and stop making him dance!"

"No, nothing is wrong with Cupcake, she just changed her number."

"Did she? I must be a bad friend. I have been so busy and I had to use our deep freezer for the extra iced tea and discounted kielbasa that Lenny got from Maria. She said he should work for Rangeman or something. Women were giving me high fives all day yesterday." Whoop de do for you.

"My mother called me and all she said was 'I understand'. I must have spaced on Steph getting a new number. I don't have it. I hope she calls me soon. I heard she knows someone that got three free jugs of tea yesterday." Arrggh.

I am so pissed that I called and wasted twenty minutes of my life on this bitch, that I rush her off the phone.

"Thank you, anyway, MaryLou. I will talk to you later." I hang up and think, and then I call the Plum House. They have to have her number, right?

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Plum, this is Joe Morelli." She hums a little bit.

"Little Joe?" Dammit! I got Edna.

"I came over with donuts for after church. I do not live here in case you are confused, Little Joe." Well, maybe I should ask her.

"Mrs. Mazur, what is Cupcake's phone number?"

"I told you to stop calling her that name, Little Joe." I almost growl at her.

"Fine, what is Stephanie's phone number?"

"Why do you need her phone number, Little Joe?"

"I want to ask her out on a date, Mrs. Mazur." She laughs at me.

"Oh, she cannot date you, Little Joe." What?

"Why not?"

"Besides the fact that she told me she would not date you for all the donuts in the world? She has a man and she does not cheat. Was that all, Little Joe?" I am so fucking pissed.

"Who is she dating, Mrs. Mazur?"

"She is not dating you, Little Joe. Give up. You are too small for her anyway. My baby granddaughter deserves a man with a grown up package. Have a good day." She hangs up on me.

I throw the phone across the fucking room. Who is she dating? Where does she live? Why does she keep calling me Little Joe? Before yesterday, I had no complaints. People told me all about their free iced tea. All of them said they got it because their dicks are bigger than mine. Maria is now on my list. She gave Manoso three of them. I hate her too, now. Bitch.

 **Stephanie POV**

I was sitting here watching Dance with Me on dvd while Carlos was reading files. He looks so sexy. He is using the dining room table to do his work. I am pretending to watch the movie while I watch him. I just got a text from Mary Lou. Man, she is funny. She still only has the burner number anyway. I have decided that unless they are a Rangeman, they are not getting my personal cell number.

After a half hour, he puts down the files and I jump up and pull him forward on the couch. I start to massage him and he moans again. Max is with Hal. He said he was going to the park and could he take Max. I gave him the pooper scooper bags and some treats for Max and they left.

"Estefania, eres muy bonita." Here he comes with the flattery. Yes, I am pretty.

"Thank you, Carlos."

"Morelli called for you at the main switchboard. Binkie stonewalled him." I clear my throat. He sighs.

"Fine, Jacob stonewalled him."

"Carlos, Jacob is a sexy name." He pulls me into his lap.

"Stop calling other men sexy, Babe. It is against the relationship rules." I laugh.

"We have rules, Carlos?" He kisses me and nods and gets up to get paper.

"Rule number one. No lying." I nod. I like that rule.

"Rule number two. No cheating." I just give him a duh look. "What if it is an op or a mission or something, Carlos?"

"Babe, I said no cheating. That means sex. If you have to kiss someone for an op, it better not be a French kiss. I will maintain the same rules, but I do not anticipate that happening. If some woman tells you differently, shoot her or kick her ass, Babe. I am your man and I mean that." Ooooh, Mufasa! I just smile and nod in my daze. He is amazing. Once he starts talking, he never shuts up. Seriously, though, I know he has let his guard down and I love it.

"Rule number three, no leaving me alone in bed. Wake me up and tell me the situation." I giggle and he writes it down.

"Rule number four, carry your gun and wear your tracker at all times." Wait a minute.

"Are you saying our relationship could depend on my having my gun?" He nods at me.

"Fine. I get it. You would worry. Where is your tracker, Carlos?" He smiles and points to his earrings. Oh.

"Rule number five, no calling other men sexy." I giggle and kiss his neck.

"Seriously, Babe, I want you to always call me first when you need help or you just want to talk. I am your man. I don't care if you are friendly with the guys. I just want to be first." He said it again!

He kisses me. "Unless it is work or a mission, I will call you first, Babe. I will call you when I need to talk." Any minute now, my alarm is going to go off. This is like a dream.

"Definitely, Carlos. I will always call you first. You mean so much to me already." He kisses me again. I point at his list.

"Are you finished?" He shakes his head.

"Rule number six, let me give you gifts." I think about it.

"Fine, but you have already given me a lot lately. Pace yourself, Carlos. I do not want you to buy me a country or an island. I love my earrings and this chain and I will wear them always because they are from you. I love Max, too. I don't want you to spend a lot of money on me. What about you write me letters or something to show you care? I am not that materialistic." He smiles at me and kisses my cheek.

"Alright, Babe. I will keep that in mind. I know all gifts don't have to be expensive. Rule number seven. It's the last one. Always fight fair and do not run away." Wow, that is a big one.

I lean over and kiss him. "I will always try to hear you out, Carlos. I do have a temper, but I will try to meet you halfway and I won't tell your mother we are fighting. What is between us is ours. Please do not tell the guys personal stuff about me." He just blinks at me.

"Babe, I will not tell them things about you. Now I have something to tell you. I was married before, too." I hold his hand.

"I was with a girl on leave and she told me she was pregnant, so I married her, but I had to leave again on an assignment. When I came home, she had given birth and found that I was not the father, so we had an annulment." Wow.

Now I get why I was met with such bitchiness yesterday. They were protecting Carlos from an opportunistic bitch. They just need time to see that I truly care about their brother. Whew. I was worried it was because I am not a Latina.

"Thank you for telling me that, Carlos." He smiles at me.

"I want there to be no secrets between us, Steph, unless it is someone else's secret. I am healthy and I have a clean bill of health. I have never had an STD. I have not really had a serious relationship before. I have always used protection and I have not been with anyone in the past four months." Wow, he is sharing, huh.

"I am healthy, too and I am committed to my training and exercise plan. I have never had an STD. My marriage was my only relationship. I have always used protection, even with Dickie and I have not been with anyone in over a year. I have not trusted anyone since he cheated on me. I will have my birth control updated again this week. I use the shots that I get every three months." Carlos hugs me.

"He was a fool, but I am glad he ruined his chance to be with you, Babe. Thank you for telling me about your birth control. Did you tell Bobby?" I nod and kiss him. We start a nice make out session that is interrupted by a knock on the door followed by two barks. Max is back. I get off Carlos' lap and answer the door. Max runs inside and goes to his water dish.

"Thanks, Steph. Max was great and girls talked to me!" I smile at Hal.

"Good, Hal. See you later." I close the door and go back to the sofa.

"Babe, how much time do you need to get ready?" I think about it.

"I need an hour and a half, Carlos. It is 4pm right now, so we can make out at least for another half hour." He grins at me.

"I love kissing you, Babe, but we cannot make out for a half hour. I am only human and you are killing me. I am not going to pressure you, but you are very sexy, Steph." Wow. Well…maybe? Yes. I will do it. I pull him into the bedroom and tell Max to take a nap.

"Carlos, let's do third base."

"You want us to fondle each other?" I shake my head.

"No. More."

He seems to be thinking.

"Do you mean oral sex?" I nod.

"Time out." I just stare at him.

"Are you sure, Steph?"

"Yes, Carlos. I am ready to do third base with you." He laughs.

"Time in." He is hilarious.

"Babe, oral sex is not a base."

"It is today, Batman. So mote it be." I push him onto the bed and we strip. Carlos tickles me and I bite his ass. I always wanted to do that. He is laughing and so am I. This is fun and he looks amazing. I pin him and he frees his hands and touches my breasts. I moan and bite my lip. Oh, I am supposed to do stuff, too. I kiss him and fondle him. Wow again.

I slide down his body and I lick his abs and I kiss lower and lower. When I take him into my mouth, he starts talking to me in Spanish and his voice is so deep. He promises to be faithful to me and says that he is mine. Wow, Batman. He tells me that I am beautiful and that he is a lucky man. I suck and slurp on his cock like I am a hungry person. He moans louder.

"Babe, oh hell yes that feels so fucking good. Don't stop." He pulls me so I am crouching over his face and then I think I passed out or something, because, Carlos was moaning and so was I. Wow, we were both kind of trembling and suddenly I feel an intense orgasm rip through me. I hold on and keep pleasing him until he yells my name, and then I take my nightmare mother's advice and I swallow. We collapse next to each other and breathe heavily.

"Wow, Babe. I feel great. Look at you, with your hair all wild and your skin has a slight flush to it, and you smell like me. Damn, Babe. I want you all the time. I love how smart you are and I really love when we play together. You always make me smile, Steph." I look at him and smile.

"So, orgasms make you talkative, huh?" He tickles me again and I yelp.

"You are a bad girl, Stephanie." I shudder.

"I thought you liked bad girls. So, how does my pie taste, Batman?" He bites my neck.

"Stop that! Put marks where no one can see, Carlos. I work with impressionable men like Hal. I cannot have him blushing at me all day." He snorts and moves lower.

"I love your pie, Babe. I am going to enjoy eating it for dessert every day." I think I just had another orgasm.

"Are you threatening to give me oral sex every day?" He looks at me.

"Yes. Rule number eight. This is my pussy." I moan out loud because he went to third base on me.

"Get off me! Go get dressed and let Max in here. He is probably feeling lonely." I try to shove him away.

"Do you agree to the rule, Stephanie?" Hell yes.

"Yes, of course, Carlos and you know I called dibs earlier. All of that is mine. I will shoot a bitch." He laughs and gets dressed. I put on my robe and walk him to the door.

We kiss and I promise to be ready by 6:15 since our reservations are for 7pm. "So good, Babe. I love your sexy mouth." He is still kissing me and murmuring to me. "Get out, Ranger. I have a date tonight and Carlos is a stickler for being prompt." He smiles at me.

"See you soon, Querida." I close the door behind him and lean against it. We only went to third base and those orgasms were so intense. Wow. I really will shoot a bitch. I ran to my room. I had a beauty regimen to get through.


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This chapter is slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph. Am I rambling too much? That thought occurred to me.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages!**

 **Ranger POV**

We were in the car on the way to The Waterhouse that is in Hamilton Township when my phone rang. I answered it with the in car system. "Yo."

"Cuz, I have good news and bad news." I am meeting Brett, Bones, Woody and Marco at the restaurant with their dates. What is wrong now?

"What is it, Les?" He sighs.

"So, two of my skips work at the place you are going to. They are waiters. That is actually the good news. I am sure the guys and you can handle them. See right? You know how you said no more pranks? Well, I forgot I had already sent out a challenge to the guys and well, Zero broke his leg racing the elevator." I want to shoot him.

Babe chimes into the conversation. "Les, is there anyone at the hospital with Zero?"

"Just a couple of guys, Beautiful. He is not going to have to stay. It is not a bad break. He will be fine in about 4 to 6 weeks and he will do his PT. This makes us short for my Dave and Buster's op. I need someone to be the distraction." I look at Babe and she smiles and nods.

"Call Edna, Lester. She will grope them and they will beg to leave with you. You are responsible for her and whoever she brings with her."

"Cuz, I am sorry. Please do not assign me to Edna. She wants my boxers." I smile. This is his own fault.

"Lester, I have already made the new plan. You know your count will start again for you to get your apartment redecorated, right?" He grumbles.

"Les, tell Hal thanks for watching Max."

"Sure thing, Beautiful. Bye, Boss." I cannot believe these guys.

"Call Brian in Boston and have him send Wyatt down to replace Zero." I went back to holding Babe's hand. She looked stunning with her hair all wild and sexy and her dress fit her perfectly. I parked the car and waited for the guys to get out of their cars.

"Okay, Cuz. Oh! Beautiful, Woki called here for you. He wants to go to the park tomorrow at lunchtime. Celia said please call him ASAP. Bye." He hung up and Babe was already on the phone speaking soothing Spanish to my nephew.

She was telling him about Max and saying that she likes Wonder Woman and she will pick him up tomorrow and that she will use the password batmobile with his father who is an architect that works from home most days. She talked to Celia and then hung up. Damn, she is so excited to have lunch with Woki.

"I know that for Celia to call Rangeman, he must be talking about you a lot, Babe. She does not have your personal cell phone number, Babe. I know Abuela will not give it out to them, either." She smiles at me.

We exit the car and I hold her hand. "I left my burner phone on silent for our date, Carlos. I wanted to focus on you. The only emergency would be Gram and now she will be with the guys. Let's enjoy our date. Maybe you can show me a better time than Woki. There was talk of swings and the jungle gym, Carlos." She is fucking perfect.

 **Steph POV**

Dinner was so delicious! I loved the lobster, calamari and vegetables I ordered. Old me would have gotten some cheesy thing. Nope. I am making good choices now. Carlos was very attentive. We did not get the FTA waiters, but they disappeared mysteriously before dessert.

We shared chocolate pudding and talked. Carlos talked about wanting to help in the community and I told him he should meet with Uncle Joe Juniak. He held my hand most of dinner and even though women kept walking by, his focus stayed on me. Carlos drove us back to the office and we went up to the rooftop to sit and watch the stars. It was nice.

"Babe, I hope you were not put off that I had four guys with us on our date."

"Nope. I like the guys and I am glad they went on dates, too. If they had to stand around and look menacing, it would feel weird. This way, it was low key and I liked that. I have no problem with security, Carlos. I live here on purpose." He smiles and hugs me.

"Let's go pack your bag, Babe. You should just leave some things in my apartment and I will do the same." I leaned into him.

"That sounds like a great idea, Carlos. Thanks for today and tonight. I know you are a very busy man and you cleared your schedule for me." He kisses me.

"Sometimes I will be too busy to hang out all day with you, but I want you to know that I love spending quality time together."

We went to my apartment and I packed for a whole week so I would have enough clothes and shoes. Max already had things in Carlos' apartment. I grabbed movies and music, too. I took the milk and the eggs and handed that to Carlos.

"Babe?"

"Carlos, I don't want the milk to go bad. I will use it, trust me." He just smiled and we lugged all of my bags and suitcases to his apartment. I started putting things away and I marveled at how easy it was to be with Carlos. I am not going to waste this chance. A thought struck me.

"Carlos, do the kids have panic chains? You could get them with symbols like Batman for Woki and they would have trackers in them." He looks pensive.

"Babe, when you ask Hector about one for Joaquin, please tell him to call Mama. She will give him all of their favorites. Thank you for thinking of that. I will go and get Max." I kissed him and took a shower. Tomorrow will be a busy day.

 **Carlos POV**

The morning meeting is spent discussing the sales team's plans to do installs. Wyatt got in early this morning and Babe visited Zero and asked Ella to show him how to download audiobooks so he will not be bored online.

Lester said he was finished with all of the FTAs from Vinnie and that he was taking the receipts to Connie today and he will pick up the next batch of files.

I explained to the guys that Babe was getting unwanted male attention and that all calls for her were to be documented in case it turned into a stalking situation. I told the men that no one is to discuss Babe and definitely no one is to give out her number.

They were instructed to change her name in all of their phones to Aunt Shelley. That way if someone tried to search their phones, they would not find Steph's name in there. I changed her number to Querida in my phone.

Steph thanked all of the guys and asked who wanted to go to the park for lunch to pretend it was a family date and most of the guys raised their hands. She picked Wyatt. He stood up and bowed. He was part Italian. Whatever. Hector said he would get her the chain in an hour and she nodded at him. He smiled at her. Another underground bakery exchange. I pretended I did not see it.

Babe was in her long sleeved royal blue stretchy blouse that had Rangeman embroidered across the breast and she was wearing matching high heeled shoes and khaki cargo capris that were lowrise. Her hair was in that librarian bun again and she was armed. Ella had gotten her jackets in every color. She looked professional and sexy. I had to force myself to look away from her.

"Okay, everyone. Have a good day. I have two onsite meetings today, but I will be back by noon. Bobby, you are with me. Wyatt, stay with Steph today." The meeting broke up. I got a text. It said rule number eight. Damn. She found a way to dirty talk. Yes, that is my pussy. I texted her that her pie was delicious and went to my office to pack my messenger bag for these meetings.

 **Stephanie POV**

"So, am I creeping you out by staring at you?" I look at Wyatt. He is adorable and he looks like Leonardo Di Caprio.

"No, Wyatt. What is your last name?" He smiles.

"It is Spinelli. So, you check on the FTA files and make a plan?" I smile and nod at him.

"Yes, Wyatt. Do you like to travel?" He lights up.

"I love to travel! I am like a nomad or something. I want to visit all of the states, you know?" He was so hyper. I made calls to some of the FTAs. For a haircut and tickets to the game, Robbie Venkman agreed to get bonded out. He offered to come here, but I said that one of the guys would pick him up. I made the notes on his file. Wyatt laughed.

"We do all of our takedowns by brute force, Steph." I shook my head.

"This guy was arrested for drunk and disorderly and he crashed his car into his ex-girlfriend's outdoor wedding and ruined the cake. He said he is really over her, he was mad about the wedding because they had planned it for them and she just lets another man have his wedding. He said he is ready to turn over a new leaf though. I just listened to him and now he will fix his issues." Wyatt just laughs again.

"I never tried to just talk to the people. I have to tell Brian about this." I just nodded and Hector came in with Woki's chain. I put the box into my pocket and went back to my stack of FTAs. I bartered and traded favors with people until the whole pile of 17 cases had my notes and suggestions. Not bad for a morning.

I let Wyatt follow me to Lester's cubicle and I explained the cases to him. He kissed my cheek and got started and I took files from Marco to do client background checks. I told Wyatt that I needed to use the restroom and then we could get the basket and my puppy and head out. Wyatt said if I have a sort of stalker, I should use the garage exit and that maybe he should drive. I agreed. It turns out, that was a good idea. The guys would tell me about it later.

 **Jack POV Rangeman lobby**

I am new, but I am not stupid. I know that no one here would order pizza and this guy has two large in his hands. He looks like a used car salesman. I check our alerts and I see a profile on just this man. He is a security level black, which means we tell him nothing and everything goes by the book.

I stand and smile at him. Ranger said we could wear shades of grey and Ella got us new uniforms. She is awesome. I am doing her garden with her this weekend and she is baking me an angel food cake. That is my favorite.

"Welcome to Rangeman. May I help you, sir?" I even smile. He looks at me with barely concealed disgust and announced his reason for being here. This was going to be fun. I typed in a request to record this encounter and I got back an affirmative. I am the gatekeeper and Steph is one of us. I have her back against this guy.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

"I am here to have lunch with Stephanie Plum." He types something into his computer.

"Sir, outside guests must be logged in and approved three days in advance. I do not see that Miss Plum has done that for anyone." He smiles at me.

"I am surprising her with lunch. Just call her and tell her Joe Morelli is here." I smile. This had to work.

The guy continues to smile at me. "Sir, there are no surprises at Rangeman. We have rules for a reason. Lunch times are even scheduled here. Our main goal is client security and this is a place of business. Can you imagine how hectic things would be if we allowed drop ins?" He smiles at me like he is sharing a joke with me.

This fucking pizza is getting heavy. I kind of thought I would use one of them as a bribe to the desk goon for letting me in to see Cupcake. This guy does not even seem fazed by the smells coming from the box. The door opens and several people in suits come inside. I back away from the desk to give them space. I have been here for fifteen minutes already.

"Hello, I have an appointment with Mr. Manoso and Mr. Brown." He hands over a business card and the guy types some notes into his computer and makes a call.

A minute later, another guy comes and escorts the three people into a side room. They come out smiling a few minutes later and he gets them visitor badges and they sign the log book. After that, they go to the elevators and I notice the guy escorting them has to use his badge to make the elevators move. I guess they really are serious about security here. I walk back up to the desk.

"Look, I can see that maybe I cannot have lunch with her here. Why don't you call her and tell her I am here and we can have lunch somewhere else. You can keep the pizza." There, I can be nice.

"Sir, that pizza is not on my food plan. I am not Miss Plum's boss and I would not tell her what to do. She can eat lunch with whomever she pleases. It is a moot point right now, though, because she is not in the office at this time." What?! I have been cooling my heels all this time and she is not even here?!

"When is she scheduled to be back in the office?" He looks at me condescendingly.

"Sir, do you want to get a security system or a bodyguard?" Hell no.

"No."

"Then I am going to have to ask you to leave, sir. Please take your pizza with you. None of us eat pizza from Pino's." He is lying.

"I know Cupcake loves Pino's pizza. Give it to her."

"Sir, I am not sure who this Cupcake person is, but no one here eats Pino's pizza. Have a good day and stay safe." He is just dismissing me!

I leave with my pizzas. The guys at the station can eat it. I stop by the florist and order flowers to be delivered. Cupcake would not be able to resist being wooed by a real man. I just needed to bide my time.

 **Stephanie POV**

I knocked on the door and it was opened a crack. "Tienes the password?" I looked down into Woki's eyes and said "Batmobile." He cheered and opened the door and jumped into my outstretched arms. His father Emilio was standing there smiling.

"I take it you are Estefania. Do you have a car seat?" I nod and smile. I bought two to see which one was good for Max.

"Please take my number. How long will you have Woki?" I hugged the little boy that was bouncing in my arms.

"Emilio, I will only have him for about 90 minutes today, but I hope to visit him again, soon." He kisses Woki and closes the door. I pick up the backpack and take him to the car. I introduce Wyatt and say that he is one of the Justice League and Woki shakes his hand. Max barks and we drive to the park where we have our picnic and play with Max.

Wow, I feel closer to this child than I ever did to the ones from my other life. When I gave him the necklace, he promised to never take it off and to only use it when he was scared and needed the Justice League and not when his sisters and cousins made him mad.

I said he could call me to talk at bedtime if he wanted and when I took him home, he was sleepy. He kissed my cheek and thanked me for keeping my promise. He asked Wyatt to hold open my doors for me until I got back home and I hugged him. He was so cute. Emilio thanked me for spending time with Joaquin and I left.

"That was so much fun and that kid had a million questions. He loves superheroes!" I smiled. Yes he does. Joaquin said he would be turning five on Halloween and would I come to his party. I said we had a whole month to wait since it was only the second, but he said he needed to plan it ahead of time.

Back at the office, the guys showed me Morelli's visit and Hal said he went to the florist to order flowers for me. Hal told the people to send any flowers from Morelli to the children's ward at the hospital and to save the cards and someone would pick them up if they called. I love these guys. That was a good idea.

I let Max roam the fifth floor and I took Wyatt to review the client files. We found out that one set of prospective clients wanted their drugs secured. I gave the file to Lester and he gave it to Bobby to call the DEA. Cool. By the time I looked up again, we had finished our files and it was almost 1700.

"Wyatt, I live in the building and I am going to head to my apartment. You can hang with the guys or whatever. It was great working with you today. I will see you in the morning."

I take Max and go back to my apartment. There are notes on the door from Zero, Hector and Hal. Zero and Hector told me that they got Ella to put groceries in my refrigerator and Hal asked if he can walk Max again tonight. They are so sweet.

I changed my clothes and stated baking the promised goods. I was finished in an hour and a half. I took their pies and one for Ella over to her apartment. She said she would give them to the guys and she hugged me. I am glad we are cool again.

I met Hal in the hallway and he took Max. I told him to return Max to the penthouse and he agreed. I grabbed my things and let myself into Carlos' apartment. I stripped and flopped on his bed like a chalk outline and fell asleep. It was only 7:30pm, but I was beat. I had been up since 5:30am.

 **Carlos POV**

Today was a productive day, but man was it long. I read over all of the day's reports and I liked Hal's solution to our pest situation. I placed a call to the police chief and told him we were going to build a case that Morelli is a stalker and he said to let him know when I needed him. Wow.

Babe had sent me a picture of her and Joaquin playing with Max at the park. He was hugging her and the dog. That little Romeo is trying to take my woman. I could see him wearing his little chain. Since she gave it to him, he would never take it off. Bobby's report was about a DEA bust that Babe found. Lester said he had plans for the FTAs from Babe and Wyatt's report detailed their day and his suggestions to Brian in Boston.

It was almost 2000 by the time I was ready to head upstairs. I called and asked Ella if Babe ate dinner and she said no. I told her I would fix us a stirfry and she said my kitchen was stocked. I went to my apartment and changed clothes. Babe was knocked out but I know she needs to eat, so I cooked us a shrimp stirfry with brown rice and put our plates in the dining room.

I kissed my sleeping beauty. "Babe, wake up." She reached out her arms for me and I picked her up and placed her into my lap.

"Maybe you should take vitamins, Babe." She nodded and went into the bathroom and came back.

"I do take vitamins, Carlos. Today was just long. I am fine, I promise. What smells so good?" I kiss her again.

"I cooked us a stirfry, Babe. Let's eat and relax." I poured us sparkling cider and we ate. Babe moaned through her meal and told me it was perfect. We watched 'why did I get married' and I gave Babe a foot massage. Her sounds reminded me of when I pleasured her. She crawled into my lap and kissed my neck.

"Carlos, help me to kidnap your nephew. He is so sweet!" I laugh.

"Yes, he is adorable. You cannot keep him, but you can be his friend. You should let Hector print that photo from today and frame it for your room." She hugged me.

"That is a great idea. Let's go to bed. I need a shower. Do you want to help me, Carlos?" I blacked out because the next thing I remember is being naked and wet with Babe in the shower. We took our time getting dirty and clean and left the bathroom satisfied and relaxed. By the time we settled into bed, I was ready to go to sleep.

Dammit, the dog. I got back up and answered the door. Hal handed me a sleeping Max. I nodded at him and put the puppy on the bed and held my Babe. She was already asleep again and she had brunch with Abuela Rosa tomorrow at the Café Dulce in Newark. My cousin Lando owns it. I will send Marco with her. Good, now I can finally sleep. The next thing I know, Babe is shaking me awake.

"What is wrong, Babe?" She kisses me.

"Carlos, I need to go exercise. I will take Max with me and I will not work on any machines. I will be back in about 45 minutes." It was 0200. I nodded at Babe and she left. I know she will tell me if she needs to talk.

 **Stephanie POV**

This time I dreamed of a beating that Joe gave me when I asked to visit Mary Lou for her birthday. He had told me that I could not leave because of the kids and I said I would take them with me and he said I did not need to visit her and that I should send a card and stop stirring up trouble. I guess he knew if Mary Lou saw me, I would have the courage to leave him.

Anyway, I could not get back to sleep, so here I am doing 'Get Me Moving' along with Beyoncé. I loved that there was a big screen television down here. I hit replay and went through the routine again and did a routine I made up to 'crazy in love'. I was now sweaty and out of breath. I turned off the television and turned and jumped out of my skin. I had a crowd.

"Guys, what is the deal?" Cal stepped forward.

"Hey Angel. I was on monitors and I let the guys know you were doing aerobics. Can we do that with you sometimes?" I smiled at them.

"Sure, but I need to get back to bed, now. See you guys."

"Angelita, the pie was so good." I look at Hector. At least he almost whispered it.

"No problem, Hector." I escaped the crowd and took the stairs up five flights of steps and got back into the shower. When I climbed into bed, Carlos sat up and pulled me into his lap.

"Babe, do you want to talk about it?" Did I?

"I just had a bad what if dream, Carlos. I am not afraid of Morelli, but a life with him is not something I will ever want and I guess it was on my mind when I went to sleep. I am fine, really." He stroked my hair.

"Stephanie, I am proud of you for opening up to me. I know it is not easy for you." I hugged him.

"No, Carlos. It is surprisingly easy to open up to you. So, did you miss me?" He laid me down on the bed and kissed me gently all over my face and neck while whispering to me in Spanish about how much he missed having me in his arms. This is real and it is better than any dream I could ever have. I love him. I kiss him back and we go back to sleep. It is 0315.


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This chapter is slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph. Am I rambling too much? That thought occurred to me.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language and sex.**

 **Thanks for your messages!**

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I decided today to take some donuts to the bonds office and find out what they knew about Cupcake. I am starting to wonder if I am obsessed with her. I just want her and I like the chase. I may not be popular right now, but I am still a sexy Italian man. I am a catch and Cupcake will realize we belong together. I just have to find her first.

I walk into the bonds office and see Connie Roselli sitting there doing her nails. I walk up to her put the donuts down. "Hey there, Connie."

She looks at me like she is not impressed. "Hey, Joe. What can I do for you?" At that moment, one of the Range goons comes inside and his partner follows him a minute later. They are in long sleeved button down dark blue shirts and matching cargos with boots. They have on nice flannel jackets, too. They are still goons to me. I listen to them talking.

"Hello, Connie. I will trade you these receipts for all of your new files." Connie looks shocked.

"You guys got them all?" He nods at her and hands her a file.

"Yes, we are doing things a different way now. Is Vinnie in?" She nods and he walks inside while his partner guards the door.

"Connie, I wanted to know if you have Cupcake's new phone number or know her address." Connie just stares at me.

"Sorry, Joe. Her mother quit for her and she has not been back here. I heard she works at Rangeman now, so that is good. She tried hard to earn money instead of mooching off her parents or some man, you know? I am happy she won't be chasing after skips and she is using her degree. I heard she graduated near the top of her class at Xavier."

"Aren't you friends with her? I am trying to take her out to thank her for clearing my name, but I don't know where she lives." Just then a woman walks inside. She looks very curvy and she is wearing jeans and a tight shirt and high red heels.

"Hey, Connnie. I am ready to review your filing system and get started with the database. Should I just use the wifi? I have my passwords and Vinnie was impressed with my plan when we talked on Friday." She is a black woman and she has not given me a glance once.

"Sure thing, Lula. The files are in those cabinets. When I finish these, I will give them to you. Detective Morelli brought us donuts. He is looking for Steph." She whips her head around and stares at me. She snorts.

"Connie, stop testing me. I am not eating donuts right now. I got us these oatmeal mini muffins and I also have green tea and fruit. Here!" She sets up the food on the side of Connie's desk making Connie smile.

"Thanks, Lula. I will make sure you are reimbursed from petty cash. Our spinning class is right before lunch. Vinnie said he will have someone watch the desk for an hour every day."

"So, you don't know where she lives, Connie?" She smiles sadly at me.

"Joe, she works at Rangeman. Where do you think she lives? I heard they have the nicest housekeeper there and she treats the guys like family. Isn't that right, Ram?"

"Miss Ella is wonderful, Connie." The other guy comes out of the office laughing with Vinnie.

"Just show Harry the note I gave you, Vinnie. Oh, here is a gift card to Golden Dragon as a thank you for trying our new business plan. There is enough there for a week for your office on us."

"Thanks, Lester. Let Miss Gladys know I will pick her up today so she can watch the office. I love that they are taking turns and it helps the girls so they can take their step classes and whatever. We are signed up to that new healthcare, too." Vinnie looks normal for a change.

"Tell her I said thank you for all of her suggestions and she was right about everything. I have contractors coming tonight to install Lula's work area and to update the furniture in here. The glass guy should be here soon." The goons leave after speaking with that Lula woman and offering her training at the gun range. She just about hugged them.

"So, you are saying she lives at Rangeman, Connie?" She nods and works on files.

"Yes, Joe. I am glad she let Miss Edna move into her old apartment. She is so lively, she needed her own space." I won't get in there. Fuck!

"Fine, if you see her, would you tell her I want her to call me?" She nods at me. I take my unwanted donuts and leave.

 **Connie POV**

"Girl, since we had that meeting with Vinnie yesterday, I feel a lot better about working here. At first, I thought he was sleazy. I did not know he was so stressed out about things and so unorganized. You do a lot here, girl. I am here to help."

"I know, Lula. Vinnie was not serious about this place. He did just enough to get by. Now, he wants to be a respected businessman and with Rangeman doing all of the captures, that will save him money. I am glad we are getting healthcare and that he is making the office and parking area safer. I like my job again. Did you see what I meant?" Lula sucks her teeth.

"Girl, hell yes. White Girl saved my life. I ain't gonna ruin hers. She don't need his mini me having ass no way. These files are not too bad. I should have them together within a week. That Ram was kind of cute, Girl and he was lookin at you." I gasp.

"Do you really think so?"

"Yup. It's gonna be a while before I date, but I want a quality guy, so I might have to leave town to find him. I will work on me for a while. Now aren't these muffins the bomb? I got them from Tank. He was at my place bright and early for advice. He said he would hook me up if I told him what to say and do on a date. He cracks me up. Did you know he has cats? Hell to the no. I am allergic. He is a cool guy, though. Now tell me the scoop girl, but only the truth."

I laugh at her. Since Vinnie told us about a meeting yesterday, our attitudes are different. He said we should be professional and not like harpies like Steph's mom. It was an eye opener. I like Lula, too. This was gonna be good.

 **Stephanie POV**

I was at Café Dulce with Marco and Abuela Rosa. She brought a photo album with her and Carlos was adorable as a child. She told me stories and said I needed to be strong for Carlos and that she approves of me for him. She also said I should make the Viejo Ropa for Carlos with cornbread soon. We had a great time and she said we had to come and visit her in Miami soon. I said we would come for Christmas and she hugged me. We dropped her off and I went back into my office.

 **Ranger POV**

Sometimes I think I would rather go to the dentist than talk to my mother. I just make affirmative noises whenever she pauses. I decide to wrap this up, and that means paying attention to what she is babbling about.

"And Woki loves her, Carlitos! Abuela Rosa has given her blessing as well. I am trying to work on Elena and Portia, but they are stubborn. So, will you bring her back?" I sigh. My mother is relentless.

"Mama, I will not bring my Babe back there yet. Give us some time. I am glad that you like her. Back off a little bit, please Mama. She has a mother that is very overbearing and disapproving. If you approach Stephanie that way, she will not warm up to you. She also does not get along with her older sister. Her mother says that her sister is perfect." She gasps.

"That poor nina! I am even more upset at Portia and Elena now. She must think I agreed with them! I was just staying out of the conversation so they could maybe bond. I did not even get to show her your baby pictures, Carlitos!" She is still angling for another family dinner. There is a knock on the door and Babe peeks in. I wave at her to come inside.

"Mama, please calm down. There is time. We can talk about this again later. Tell Papa I said hello. I love you." I hang up and stand up to kiss Babe. She kisses me back, but she moves away. She is carrying a stack of files and she looks serious.

"Carlos, I think you need to review the files on some of your contract workers. I finished the files on all of the permanent staff, but these other files are not all good hires. Some of these guys are violent. I suggest you let them go and upgrade security. This will also avoid information leaks." I look over the files. She is right.

"Okay, Babe. I will talk to the core team and we will make the changes. Thank you for catching this. Mama wants you to come back over as soon as possible. She really likes you and she would like to embarrass me by showing you my baby pictures." Babe giggles.

"Carlos, I have seen some already. You were adorable as a child. You are very attractive as a man. I have to finish my notes and then I have the gun range with Ram. I will see you later, okay?" She smiles at me.

I love her work clothes. She is in a silver wrap dress that is above her knees and she is wearing boots. I nod and watch her go. I want her all the time.

The phone rings and I sigh and answer it. "Hello?"

"Heyyyy, Ranger!" Why me?

"Yes, Vincent? I thought you were using Lester as your contact."

"Yes, but I wanted your opinion on a bond. I know this guy will go FTA because he feels humiliated. I figure if I can give him some good advice, he can avoid bothering you guys all together." I am waiting for how this affects me.

"See, this guy, Billy Jackson went to the casino and they caught him on the security cams stealing a pocketbook out of an open car window in the parking facility." I sigh. This was going to be a long story.

"Go on, Vincent."

"They have footage of him creeping up to it and looking around like a villain. He took the purse back behind his car and opened it. Then he stuck both hands inside and when they caught up to him, he was still like that." Fine, I will bite.

"Why, Vincent?" He sniggers.

"The purse was full of actual shit. It was all over his hands." I put the phone down and howl laughing.

"So, why was he arrested?"

"They said he assaulted an officer, but I think he just got shit all over them. So, what do I tell him to do?"

"Why didn't you just ask Stephanie?"

"Oh, am I allowed to call her?" He cracks me up.

"You can call the office and get transferred to her, Vincent. That is her job."

"Oh, so do you have any ideas?"

"Tell the guy to call your new lawyer, Spencer Hardy. He will get the charges dropped. Cancel the bond, Vincent and tell Billy to stop stealing purses."

"I think he is scared shitless of doing it again!" He cracks up.

"Goodbye, Vincent."

"Bye, and thanks!" I hang up. Ew.

 **Stephanie POV**

It was a close call getting away from Carlos. He looked good in his silver button down and cargos. I want him all the time. I wonder when our next date will be? I would like to go to mini golf or something. Maybe we can do laser tag or paintball.

Is there a game on tonight? Maybe I should get Carlos to hang with the guys. Lester told me that Morelli was at the bonds office. Am I hiding from him? Maybe a little, but I mostly want to drive him crazy by denying him what he wants. He will behave more erratically if I stay out of his little life for a while. I am tapped on the shoulder and I turn to see a shell shocked Ram.

"What's up, Ram? Did I do it wrong?" He points to the little paper man I was shooting. I had made a huge hole in the crotch and the heart. Oh. I look at him.

"That's good, right?" He smiles weakly and tells me to sign the sheet and he would hang it up. Oh! Like school! Awesome. I sign it and leave in a good mood. I was so silly being afraid of my gun before.

In my office where Max follows me, I write a letter to Valerie but I sign it "A Housewife Who Knows".

I tell her to move half of all of her accounts to an account under her maiden name and to restrict the kids' college funds. I tell her I am a gypsy and I had a vision of her having financial troubles and if she wants to be able to save face, she should make these changes and tell no one.

That ought to get her moving. I send it to her by Fedex so she has to sign for it. Just because she is living in housewife denial and she think she is better than me does not mean I can't try to help her. If she does not listen to me, then it is her fault and I won't feel guilty.

I decide to call my little baby boy. Emilio answers the phone.

"Hola." He sounds distracted.

"Hola, Emilio. Is Woki able to get the phone? This is Steph." He laughs.

"He was just bugging me to call you. Here he is." I hear footsteps running and then Joaquin answers the phone.

"Hola, Estefania. How is Max?" He is so cute.

"He is good, Woki. Are you behaving?"

"Si and I am practicing my letter sounds so I can read like you! What are you doing?"

"I am working. I had to practice with my gun and now I have to do paperwork."

"Oh, that sounds like fun. Will you come to see me again?"

"Of course as long as you behave and your parents say it is alright. Let me talk to your daddy so I can see when is a good time? Do you like laser tag?"

"Si, Estefania! I like it a lot. I will get Papi." He races to his father and I hear him panting.

"Hola, Emilio, Woki wants to go on a date with me. Can I take him to laser tag? You can pick the day."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, he is adorable. You are lucky I am asking permission instead of just taking him." He laughs.

"I actually have a meeting I cannot avoid tomorrow morning. I was going to take him to Ana's but he would rather be with you I am sure. If I drop him off to you at the building at 8:30, I will go to my meeting and I can pick him up by 1pm. How is that?" Perfect.

"That is great, Emilio. I will see you tomorrow. Tell him our new password is neutralizer. He likes Men in Black." He laughs and agrees and hangs up. I stop by to talk to Lester who confirms that there is a game tonight and they are watching it on the big screen in the gym and they will have snacks and couches. He is funny.

I close out my files and go to my apartment. I had a boyfriend to seduce.

 **Ranger POV**

Babe already went to her apartment, so I head there first. When I open the door, I hear music. I close the door and go in search of her and she is in the bedroom. She is playing Weak by SWV and she is standing before me in a blue babydoll nightie and heels. Her hair is up in a ponytail. She walks up to me because I cannot move.

"Hello, Carlos. How was work?" I kiss her and she backs away from me and pushes me down on the bed. She dances around and sings along with the music and gives me a glass of wine.

"Work was fine, Babe. What are you doing?" She smiles and spins around so I can see that the back of the nightie is mostly see through and she is wearing thongs. Whatever she wants, the answer is hell yes.

"I want you to relax tonight, so after I am through with you, I told Lester that you will come and watch the game with the guys. I want to go and see Mary Lou and I will take whatever car you say I should. Also, Woki will be here in the morning because Emilio has a meeting and I am using my lunch break to take him to the laser tag place in Newark at around 10am."

And at that moment, my brain melted. I did not even notice that she had taken my pants off, but she was expertly giving me head and I just set my wine down so I could play with her hair. The song changed to "You're the One". Wow. She really loves me, she just has not told me yet.

I moan and beg her not to stop all through Beyoncé singing about being loved "Flaws and All". My Babe is perfect for me and I will make sure she knows it. Oh, fuck yes! I cum and she swallows it. I pull her up to me and we kiss passionately.

The song changes to "Quality time" and I taste her again. I will never get enough of her. She mewls and moans and when I add fingers, she arches off the bed and screams for me. Yes, Babe. Scream my name. When I let her rest, she snuggles with me.

"So, can I go?" What?

"Carlos, I want to visit ML. You will be watching the game and I can see her. I will take the back entrance to her house and I will be back by 11pm." I want to say no. I really do. I sigh.

"Babe, take Hector with you. Please be careful." She kisses me and looks at me seriously.

"Of course I will and I will take my gun. I don't want you to worry about me."

The music changes to "My Heart Belongs to You" and I kiss her again.

"Fine. I will go to watch the game with the guys. Please call me if you need me, Babe." She smiles and walks to the bathroom.

"Carlos." Oh, Babe. Calling me already. Here I come. I race into the bathroom and she giggles at my enthusiasm. This was a nice surprise and I am definitely relaxed.

Babe gets dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and puts her hair back into a ponytail. She looks like a coed. She kisses me and tells me to take Max with me.

"Carlos, what about Woki? Are you alright with it?" She really likes my nephew.

"Sure, Babe. I trust you." She gasps a little and hugs me and kisses me deeply, and then she pets the dog and runs out the door talking to Hector on the phone. I tell Max to come with me. Let's go and watch the game.

 **Stephanie POV**

"Angelita we are taking my car and you will wear this hat. You will move when I say move and I will go first." He says all of this in Spanish. I respond the same way.

"Si, Hector. Thank you for coming with me." He smiles.

"Does she bake a lot, your friend?" I crack up laughing.

"Yes." He smiles like Mr. Burns on the Simpsons.

We get to the street that is one block over from ML's house and I tell him which yards we can cut through. We knock on her back door and she opens it a crack and smiles when she sees me. Hector comes inside and hugs a surprised Mary Lou. He is talking to her very fast and she looks lost.

"ML, he said he will show you self-defense and how to use a knife as a weapon if you bake him one cake a week." She howls laughing and hugs him back.

"That sounds great! I can be badass and all of that. Tell him yes." I snort.

"He understands English, ML. He speaks it, too. He is just messing with the guys at work. They have no idea." She giggles and hands us both a glass of iced tea and she sets out a plate of cookies.

"Lenny took the kids to his mother's and they will not be back until 11pm." I smile at that news.

"Girl, you were right. Morelli called me and I just acted like I did not have your number. It was hilarious. So, how is life with that hottie Ranger? You have to give me all the details." I stonewall her.

"I plead the fifth, ML. I do not want to be gossiped about." She looks offended.

"You know I can keep a secret, Steph." I know she can. I am just fucking with her. Before I can say anything, Hector tells her about us.

"Si, Mary Lou they are always staring at each other and they sleep in each other's apartments. He gave her a puppy. She has met his familia and his mother loves her and his abuela too. I have seen them kissing and they went to a date the other night." I just stare at Hector.

"I am just doing girl talk." I smack his arm.

Mary Lou squeals. "OMG, Steph. I heard you saw the Package. Maria won't tell me the number, she just said she gave him three jugs of juice. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me." She is bouncing up and down.

"Stop it! He deserves the three jugs, trust me, but I cannot tell you more than that because I promised to keep certain things private." She leans in close to me.

"Does he go downtown? Is he good at it? Did you deep throat him?" I blush and she screams.

"Oh my gosh, I was mostly joking! You lucky bitch!" I look at Hector.

"Hector, do not tell!" He just sits there.

"We can negotiate, Chica." I turn to ML.

"This is your fault! He is going to make me his house elf!" She giggles uncontrollably.

I get Hector to agree to one pie a week and he stays quiet about the things he has heard.

"So, ML, did you get the order done with Katrina at the Tasty Pastry?" She smiles.

"Yup. For the next month, she will tell people she is out of cupcakes and she will instead feature churros using the secret recipe you gave her. She will tell everyone that she is being diverse with her baked goods. They will be introduced tomorrow with a buy one get one free deal. I gave her the money. She said she liked the idea and it is something new. She also said any cupcakes she bakes will be sent to daycares."

"This would drive Morelli crazy. He loves eating cupcakes. Ew. I just heard it." They both laugh at me. We watch a movie and she gives me the scoop on different people around town.

I check the time and it is 10:30.

"MaryLou, me and the profiteer over here have to be going. Here are some coupons to laser tag for the kids."

She thanks me. "I will call you and you are allowed to confirm that I live at Rangeman and that I have a classy well-paying job and a company car. Tell people that you saw me and I was in great shape."

"No problem, Steph. You do look great. You almost glow. Were you being freaky before you came over here?" I leave without answering her and I hear her laughter behind me. I follow Hector in the shadows to the car. I tell him to check it for like bombs. He does and he tells me that was a good idea. I just smile and watch the scenery go by.

I hug Hector and he says he wants his pies on Fridays. I pretend to scowl at him and I go to Carlos's apartment and let myself in. I am grabbed and pushed against the wall.

"I missed you, Babe." I smile and kiss him.

"I was gone for four hours, Carlos." He kisses my neck.

"I like being able to touch you and kiss you whenever I want." I hug him.

"So, how much gossip did she get out of you, Babe?" I blush.

"She knows we enjoy each other but I gave her no specifics. She says I glow."

"You do. You look happy." I just look into his eyes.

"I am happy, Carlos. You make me happy." He smiles and pulls me into the bedroom where we undress and put on pjs. Max is sleeping.

"What did you do to my puppy, Carlos?"

"Nothing, Babe. He tired himself out doing tricks with the guys. They love him. I had a good time, Steph. Thanks for suggesting it."

I climb into bed and put Max on his side. "You can unwind with the guys sometimes. I was thinking about paintball. You should all do that one weekend." I kiss him and lay on top of him. He hums and takes my hair loose. I love the way he touches me.

"I will talk to the guys about it, Babe. I adore you. You make me happy, too." Oh, my heart is beating so fast.

"Goodnight, Carlos." I just cuddle into him and welcome sleep. Tomorrow will be fun. As long as my days end like this, I can face anything.

A/N: That thing with the pocketbook of poop really happened to someone I know. I still laugh when I think about it. Thanks for reading.


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language and sex.**

 **Thanks for your messages!**

 **Jacob(Binkie) POV**

I was glad to do this favor for Steph today. She said she wanted me to pick up her order at the Tasty Pastry and that I should smile and wear my silver uniform. Woody was my partner today and we were both in a good mood.

Working out with Steph is fun because she does dances. We even had that impromptu cookout on the roof on Saturday, so I am glad she joined the crew. She makes me feel special, too. She asked if I liked my nickname and I said no. She said to make people call me by my real name from now on and that the name Jacob is sexy. Man she is pretty. Oh, we are here.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

After much thought on the subject, I have decided that I am going about this thing with Cupcake the wrong way. She will turn up and I will hear about it just like usual. Her mother would probably call me soon anyway once the gossip dies down. I will not chase after her; I will let her come to me. That is the way it should be anyway. Of course I will stay alert for news of her because that can only help me out.

I stopped at the Tasty Pastry for my sugar fix and there was a huge line already at freaking 7am. Geez, is this another damned sale? As I got closer to the front door, I saw a sign that advertised a new item. What the fuck is a churro? Women were leaving in groups and they were eating some strange looking donut and smiling and talking.

When the line moved, I realized I was behind two of Manoso's goons. What were they doing at the bakery? Were they getting donuts for Cupcake? I had to find out. I heard the one guy start talking, so I eavesdropped.

"Good morning, Katrina. I am Jacob. You should have an order ready for me." He actually sounded normal. Katrina smiled a big smile at him and handed him a box she got from the back of the shop.

"Be careful, Jacob. These are fresh. Well, they all are. This was a good idea for a new item. This was already paid for, so have a good day." Was she batting her eyelashes at him?

"Katrina, when do you close?" He has not picked up the box.

"Well, Jacob, I close at 5pm during the week." He smiles at her again.

"Would you like to have dinner with me today? I could pick you up here or meet you at the place of your choice." She goes back to batting her eyelashes. I am in line here!

"Sure thing, Jacob. I heard you guys all got jugs of iced tea Saturday. Give me your number and I will call you when I take a break today." He gives her a card and kisses her hand and leaves the line. It's about freaking time!

I stand there and her expression turns serious. "Good morning, Detective Morelli. Would you like to try the churros? They are new and today they are buy one, get one free." She waits for my answer.

"No. I don't want Spanish food. I want a dozen cupcakes and a dozen glazed donuts." She smiles at me again.

"I am sorry, but we are not serving cupcakes right now. I have limited space, so I had to take an item away to make room for the churros. Are you sure you would not like to try them? They really are a good snack and if you dip them in your coffee, it is delicious!" I glare at her. No cupcakes? What kind of bullshit is she talking about?

"Well, I want cupcakes." She just looks at me.

"There are none baked, Detective. Would you still like the donuts?" This is a bakery! What kind of bakery does not have cupcakes?

"Yes I want the donuts. Make it two dozen, and make the second dozen Boston Crèmes. Will you have cupcakes tomorrow?" She boxes the donuts and rings up my order.

"No, Detective. We won't have them for the next month. Thank you and here is your change." She turns to the next person in line and that person buys the churros. I just leave. I can't have cupcakes. Everyone knows I love cupcakes. A whole month! This is ridiculous.

 **Steph POV**

I ran back to Carlos' apartment and got into the shower. I know Max ran for his food bowl. These workouts are getting easier to handle. I wash my hair and lean against the wall. That is how Carlos found me. I knew he was standing there because of the tingle.

"Are you getting in, Carlos?" I open my eyes to see that he is naked and that a certain part of him was very awake and ready for action. I lick my lips. He growled. Heh heh. He pinned me to the shower wall and we kissed.

"You look so pretty wet and naked, Querida. Let me help you to get ready." His hands are everywhere. I think I melted into a puddle at one point. Fine, my knees were very weak, which was not a bad thing as it put me right where I wanted to be. After a good ten minutes, Carlos joined me on the floor.

"Should I maybe shoot someone, Babe?" I looked at him. What?

"What do you mean?" He stood and helped me to my feet and we rinsed off and got out of the shower.

"You are just so good at pleasing me, that it makes me want to hurt whoever may have also experienced such pleasure with you." He is so cute!

"Do you see that face in the mirror? That's him. Get him." I laugh and dry my hair while he stares at me.

"So, you are just that good for your first try?" I smile at him and nod.

"I was not going to do that to Dickie because I never trusted him not to try to be rough or something. He also wanted butt stuff. The nerve of that man!" I shudder and Carlos smiles a huge smile.

"Butt stuff, Babe?" I narrow my eyes at him and apply my moisturizer after I put my hair into a loose bun.

"Yes, butt stuff. I said no, and he was lucky he got regular stuff. Maybe it is my fault he fucked Joyce on the dining room table, but I was not letting him use that entrance. It was the trust thing. Oh well." I kissed him and brushed my teeth and left the bathroom to put on my clothes.

Carlos comes up behind me wearing just his silk boxers. Today must be a sales day because I know he likes to go commando. "Babe, I will say it again. That man was an idiot and he did not deserve you. Yes, those pants."

I was holding dark blue low-rise cargos. I paired it with a white button down Rangeman dress shirt, but I wore a tight dark blue tee shirt underneath it. I needed a belt and I was searching for one, when Carlos handed me a belt. Yup, it said Rangeman on the buckle. I put it on and tucked in my shirt and put my gun into the small of my back with the safety on.

I put on my boots and stood up to get my jacket, purse and messenger bag and found Carlos staring at me. What?

 **Ranger POV**

She looks so good and she is dressed so simply. I want to strip her and make love all day, but I am waiting for her to initiate full sex. That approach has worked so far. She has my name on her panties, her shirt and on that belt. I love Tia Ella. I kiss her again because I can. Max barks, so that means I need to finish dressing.

Babe tells me that she is eating breakfast in the break room and she will see me later for our lunch date at Café Dulce. She is meeting me there. Damn, I love her. She is not demanding and I cannot believe I almost lost my chance with her. My phone rings. Who is calling me this early?

"Yo." It is Lester.

"Yo, Cuz, can I send Razor and Marco a middle school to talk about fitness? It will make us look good and it will piss off Morelli. Eddie said he will make it so Morelli turns down the assignment." I laugh at him. The guys love Babe's silent war with Morelli.

"Sure, Les. Let Tank know. Wyatt is with Babe today."

"Thanks, man. I can't wait to see his face." He hangs up.

I am wearing a grey suit with a blue dress shirt that has silver stripes. In the breakroom, I get oatmeal and fruit and I watch Babe smile and talk to the guys. She is good for them. She hugs Binkie and tells him to take one white rose to his date and to dress in jeans. He has a date? He thanks her and I finish eating.

In the morning meeting, I talk about our security protocols and I remind them to use their dash cams should they be pulled over and to remove all weapons before they exit the car if it comes to that. They all know to call Jordan Meadows, our lawyer with any issues.

I reminded them to wear their jackets and that I was out of the office until after lunch and Tank was with me. Lester and Bobby were in charge. Lester said he was headed to the police station and to the bonds office, but that he would be right back. They all nodded and the meeting broke up. Babe texted me don't get shot. I texted her don't go crazy. I looked at her and she winked at me. I adore her.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

At the station, all of the guys are eating the weird churros and talking about how good they are. I leave the donuts I bought on the desk for anyone to eat, but it seems that they already had a delivery of a huge box of churros. I growl and go to my desk. My mother calls me. What could she want early this morning?

"Yeah, Ma?" She is eating something.

"Joey, listen, you will have to do your own laundry this week. Our washer is broken and I can't get a new one with our warranty until next week. I am not lugging your clothes to the laundromat in addition to my own." Now I have to go to the laundromat!

"Okay, Ma. Thanks for telling me," Whatever. I will worry about that later.

"Joey, have you tried these churros? Katrina gave me some for free because she heard about how embarrassing you were on Saturday. She is a nice girl. She doesn't yell obscenities at people in the middle of the deli." She got pity pastry because of me?

"No, I have not tasted them, Ma. I am sorry, Ma." And I won't, either. Manoso probably paid Katrina to make those Spanish things. Geez, again with the deli.

"You don't know what you are missing. You had better not embarrass me again like that, Joseph Anthony Morelli. Well, I have to go and let the workmen out. They gave me a voucher for the laundromat to apologize for the inconvenience. Such nice boys. Bye, Joey." She hung up.

A while later, I am bothered again. The jokes are getting on my nerves. It is bad enough I have all this fucking paperwork to do, can't they leave me alone?

"Morelli, you are on patrol this morning for the fitness fair at the middle school." I looked up at Gazzara.

"No, I am a detective, Gazzara. I do not do patrols." He had better realize I am more important than a uniformed cop. He shrugged and walked away. He came back a half hour later.

"Morelli, I told the desk sergeant that you did not want the assignment and Lester and Bobby were here. You know they work for Rangeman, right?" I nodded. He sat on the edge of my desk.

"They said they could send a couple of guys over to talk to the kids about fitness and demonstrate a few things. Lester said that Rangeman wants to give back to the community and the Captain gave his blessing. He thanked them for helping the kids." What? He stood up and smiled at me.

"See that? Now you don't have to take that assignment. You can sit there and do your paperwork and feel important. I am sorry I put your name up for the patrol. I thought you would like the kids to look up to you as a role model. Oh well." He walks away again. What the fuck just happened?

 **Stephanie POV**

I met Emilio and Woki at the loading dock entrance. I told Emilio that Woki's visit should be on the down low. Joaquin was wearing little khaki cargos and a long sleeved blue tee shirt that had Batman on it. He was not smiling. Wyatt said, "Neuralizer," and Woki smiled and took his backpack from his dad. Nice blank face. He is so adorable.

"Hello, Sweetie. Emilio, I can drop Woki back at your house, since I will be going that way. I have a lunch out there. I will be there at 12:45. Is that okay?" He just grinned and nodded.

"Si, Estefania, that is fine. My meeting is supposed to be over at noon. What is this?" He takes the box I give him.

"It is churros to take to your meeting. Have a good day, Emilio." He blinks at me and hugs Woki and leaves with a huge smile.

"Here is your security badge, Woki. Let's go inside now." He takes my hand and Wyatt follows us back inside the building. We take the elevator to the fifth floor and Max barks and approaches us.

"Hey, Max! I am here to see Estefania! I have work to do, too!" He keeps talking to the puppy and the guys all look at him as we walk to my office. Hal waves at him. I hold in my laugh.

I set Joaquin at the sofa in the room and I give him churros to eat and apple juice. I tell him that Max cannot have any and Max stops begging.

"So, we will go to the laser tag place in about an hour, Woki. Is there anything you want to see?" He smiles while I wipe the sugar from his face.

"I want to talk to the Justice League guys, Estefania. Can I ask them about superheroes?" I get him a clipboard, notepad and a pencil and I tell him that he can talk to the guys on this floor only and that he should come back when he is finished. He kisses my cheek and leaves with Max.

"He is so cute, Steph." I look at Wyatt. He is still staring at the doorway.

"I know. He is at that age where he wants to be a big boy and not the baby anymore. He just wants to feel important, Wyatt. Let's see how many of these files we get through before 10:15." He nods and we start reading the printouts and background checks.

Wyatt said he will show the guys in Boston how I process them and give them hints. Silvio said he wants to move to Miami and that he is glad I took over that part of his job because it makes his transition that much easier.

 **Joaquin POV**

I walked up to the guys that were watching television or something. "Hello." They turned around and nodded at me, and they looked at the screens again.

"I am Joaquin. So, can you write down your favorite superhero?" The one guy has a picture of fire on his face. Wow.

"My name is Cal, little guy. I like Johnny Storm, the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four." He takes my paper and writes it down. The other guy just stares at me. He has tears on his face. Wow. Do they all get pictures on their faces? He laughs. Oh. He knows Spanish.

"No, Joaquin, only some of us have tattoos. I am Hector. I like Wolverine." He writes it down. I look at the screens.

"So you watch television for your job, Hector?" He smiled at me.

"No, we watch people's homes and stores to make sure no one is doing bad things." I look at the screens and point.

"Hector, why is that guy climbing over the fence? I am not allowed to do that at home." He looks and then he makes a call and talks fast. He turns to me.

"You have good eyes, Joaquin. Good job. That guy is doing a bad thing and you helped us to catch him." I am awesome! I thank them and I leave to talk to the other guys. Wait until I tell Estefania! Tio Ric will be so happy that I came here today and I get to go to laser tag!

 **Ranger POV**

I made the sales with Dyson's jewelry store and I may have shopped a little while I was there. I saw a bracelet that would look good on Babe. I will wait to give it to her. Like she said, I will pace myself.

The gentlemen that owned the jewelry store called his friend that ran the furniture store across the street and he signed a contract with me as well. I told them we could do background checks on their employees as well and they were thrilled. Once Babe and Silvio look over the files, I will schedule them for a walk through.

So, she is late. I check my watch again and I check my phone but there are no alerts. At least she is not in trouble. I will just wait. If she was not coming, she would call.

I am sitting at a table in the back, but with a good view of the exits. It is a habit. A soft cough interrupted my reading. I was going through my emails. Razor and Marco were a hit with the kids and they got asked to come back next month. That was good PR for us. I look up to see a redhead wearing a low-cut gold colored top and a short black skirt. No thank you.

"Yes?" She smiles a huge smile at me.

"I saw you sitting here alone and I wanted to introduce myself. I am Bridgett Wilson." She continues smiling. I stand up and shake her hand. It was either that or she would have leaned further forward. Why do women think we need help looking at their breasts?

"I am Carlos Manoso. I am waiting for my lunch date." She frowns as I sit back down.

"A woman would have to be crazy to keep you waiting." Babe walks up when she says that. She changed into a turquoise blue long sleeved form fitting dress that comes to just above her knees and she is wearing matching shoes. Babe is carrying her jacket and her purse. She has her hair loose. Hell yes.

"Carlos, I am sorry I am late. There was a small incident involving ketchup." She smiles. Woki got her dirty and she changed for me. I would not have cared. I stand up.

"Babe, this is Bridgett Wilson." Babe smiles and shakes the woman's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Bridgett. Thanks for keeping Carlos company until I got here. Have a good rest of the day." She turns to me and I kiss her gently and hold out her chair. Bridgett storms away.

"That is just sad, Batman. I can't take you anywhere without some woman throwing herself at you. Were you smiling or something?" I kiss her cheek and sit down.

"You know, I might have been smiling. I was thinking about you, Babe. You look beautiful." She blushes.

We ordered and Lando gives me a thumbs up. He is not discreet about it, either because Babe giggles.

"So, Joaquin had fun?" She finishes chewing her food and wipes her mouth.

"Yup. I sent Wyatt to eat and I told him to take the car, so I am getting a ride back with you. You nephew is adorable and he caught a robbery on the monitors while taking a survey from the guys. Hector said Woki has good eyes. All of the guys told him their favorite superheros." I love her. I should just tell her. I will wait until we are more private.

"It sounds like you have had quite the day already, Babe. I made two sales and they both say they have more referrals." She takes my hand.

"That is great, Carlos. I will bet you it was the suit. You can look scary dressed like Ranger." She is right. I am good at looking scary.

"Gram called me. She said Katrina cannot make the churros fast enough. I also heard from Jacob that Morelli was quite ticked off because he cannot have cupcakes." She giggles. We finish lunch and I drive us back to Rangeman. I follow her into her office so I can kiss her. She melts in my arms. I pull back.

"Thanks for rescuing me Babe. I enjoyed lunch with you. See you at 1900 for dinner. Just ask Ella to fix something." She just gets a secretive look.

"Dinner will be ready when you come up. I have to go to a doctor's appointment at 1600. My OBGYN has agreed to let me come into the back door. I explained that I did not want to talk about my accident with people. Hector is coming with me and Gram is doing the distraction." I just grinned and kissed her.

"Okay, Babe." I left her office to get the paperwork done and sent to the different departments.

 **Stephanie POV**

"Hector, wait until Gram does the distraction, and then we can go inside." He just nods. We watch Gram and her friend go inside. I know she is going to talk about safe sex loudly. Our operation goes smoothly and a half hour later, I am now protected from pregnancy for the next three months.

Hector updated the date in his phone. He said I needed to tell Bobby, so I stopped and told him. He made a note in my file and on his calendar as well. I just shook my head. I worked until 5:30, and I went to Carlos' apartment and started dinner.

While it was simmering slowly, I changed into my own Batman tee shirt and boxers with my fuzzy slippers. I took out the wine, and I made fat free vanilla pudding. It was hard to make smaller portions. I am so used to cooking enough for 6 people. Those ungrateful monsters used to eat so much! Geez. It is like I have war flashbacks or something.

Max is ready to go out and Hal comes to get him for his walk at the park. I think Hal might like someone. He is never late to take Max out. Carlos comes in and I tell him to change clothes. I set the table and when he comes out, we sit down to eat.

"Babe, this is Viejo Ropa." I grin at him.

"I know, Carlos. Your Abuela Rosa said it was your favorite meal." He takes my hand.

"Stephanie, I love you." Oh, Carlos. I had been playing footsie under the table with him, but I stopped and stared at him.

"I love you, too, Carlos. I know we are new, but I feel it, too." He kisses my hand.

"I am glad you feel the same way I do, Stephanie. Thank you for cooking my favorite meal. You make me feel so special." He drinks his wine and goes back to eating. He even eats one piece of cornbread.

After dinner, we sit in the living room and watch 'Gone in 60 seconds'. I love the cars in this movie. I make Carlos lie down with his head in my lap so I can massage his scalp. Every time I touch him, he almost purrs. Is he part panther or what?

We wait for Hal to bring Max back, and we get ready for bed. We kiss for a long time, but we don't take it further. We don't need to tonight. With a whispered I love you, we both settle in to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph. Your patience is rewarded in this chapter.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language and sex.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

It is Friday again and I am still laughing at what happened yesterday. Morelli had a mishap at the laundromat and somehow managed to shrink his clothes and make one batch into tie dye. This was evident on his shirts. His suits he took to the cleaners. My absolute favorite part was the rant his mother gave him outside Pino's. She really let into him. Gram filmed it. I will just watch it again on Youtube.

The scene shows Joe Morelli coming out of Pino's with a large pizza and a six pack of beer balanced on top. Suddenly, his mother walks up to him pokes him in the chest.

"Joseph Anthony Morelli! How could you embarrass me like this?! I thought you knew how to do your laundry and I know I taught you better! You look ridiculous with a half pink half blue shirt! Why didn't you just admit you cannot do it instead of ruining all of your clothes? What is this beer on a Thursday to drink it all alone?! This is why I will have no grandbabies. No woman will want you with the small privates and a beer gut! Go home and take off these clothes at once!"

I know it is small of me, but I cannot help but notice the look on his face while she is publicly berating him. He looks a little sad, a little betrayed and a little mad. My shoulder angel tells me to be nice and my shoulder badass pimp slaps her and tells me that he did it to himself and that is what he gets. I really had nothing to do with this little episode, but that does not stop me from enjoying it.

Since we are off tomorrow, the guys agreed to have a paintball war. There will be a skeletal crew here and some contract workers. Tank said he is not playing because he has a date tomorrow night, so he will be in charge if Carlos stays on call for the night shift.

Carlos said he wanted the same deal for tonight which is poker night. Tank wants to play, but Carlos is not into gambling. Good. After he is finished his shift tonight, I will help him to totally relax. I am ready.

Meanwhile, I am supposed to get dressed. I put on my khaki cargo skirt and dark brown stockings with my dark brown boots. I like these garters and so does Carlos. His eyes look so sexy when he undresses me. I put my hair into a bun and button my chocolate brown dress shirt that still says Rangeman on the breast. It is a silky material and I pair it with a khaki jacket that has ruffles on the back. I love Ella.

I grab Hector's bribery pie and leave my apartment. Carlos had looked at me funny when I said I was coming to my apartment. I had made the filling after work yesterday so I could bake it fresh this morning.

I let Max follow me and I stopped at Hector's cubicle with the pie. I looked behind me and there was a line of guys staring at me. I sighed and handed the bag with two more pies in it to the nearest Rangeman who happened to be Grifter.

"Here. Go buy yourself something nice." He stands there petrified as the mob closes in on him. I feel the tingle. I turn and Ranger is here. I say that because he is in his black uniform and he is dressed in SWAT gear.

"Gentlemen, is there a problem?" No one says anything. Hector hid his pie in the overhead storage area to his cubicle and he has a blank face. I try not to make eye contact.

Hector whispers to me. "Chica, do the distraction." He takes out my hair clip and puts it into my hand. Fine! I take a deep breath, shake my hair, and walk up to Carlos.

"What time is the take down for Rollings and Ford, Ranger?" He looks at me and the guys disperse quickly. I notice that the crowd carries poor Grifter away.

 **Ranger POV**

I know what she is doing, but I am still captivated by her beauty. Now I know what she meant when she said she had to get ready in her apartment this morning. Pie. I missed shower sex for pies. Well, shower oral sex. I love it and I wanted it today.

She knows I have to work late tonight and I have to be on call tomorrow night. Hell, Mama might even succeed in getting Babe to agree to Sunday dinner. She is standing so close to me that I can smell the scent she uses.

Damn, I want her and that skirt is not helping. My hands itch to touch her and slide my hands over her body and check to see if she is wearing those stockings with garters and what kind of tiny excuse for panties she has on her sexy little ass.

I have been hot for her since I saw her do a take down on Lester in the gym today. She calls my name and I concentrate on what she is saying. She has fixed her hair again and I lament over my missed chance to play with the wild curly mass.

"The takedown is set for thirty minutes." She bites her lip and looks at me.

"Carlos, please wear a vest and a jacket and be careful. Park your cars far away from the house. They like to throw Molotov cocktails." I nod and agree to take her advice.

"Do not turn your back on any of them, even the girlfriends." I walk her to her office. Once the door closes, I pull her close and kiss her.

"Babe, please calm down. Thank you for your advice, especially about the girlfriends. I will make sure Tank and Les and Bobby suit up as well. Don't go crazy while I am gone, and I want my own pie tonight, Babe." She shudders and kisses me.

"Tonight I think we should practice rule number 8, Carlos. Let's practice it all night, okay? Have a good takedown and if you let my boyfriend get hurt, no pie for you." She expects me to be able to think right now? I meant I wanted her to bake me a pie, but damn. I kiss her again and leave before I bend her over something.

 **Helen POV**

I like this time of morning. It is after breakfast but before lunch. Today I am using this time to think. Valerie called me and begged me to sign some forms for her and I agreed. That took a couple of hours at the bank. When I asked her what was going on, she said she was just doing some planning. I decided that I trust her judgment; after all she is my success story.

Now I have some new thoughts. I drank my coffee and mulled it over. Ever since Stephanie got out of St. Francis', people have been talking about Joseph Morelli. I really thought he would have been a good addition to our family, but now I am not so sure.

I mean he is a police Detective but I heard he did not want to give a safety talk to the kids at the middle school. Betty Lupelli told me that Shirley Gazzara told her that Joseph said he was too important to talk to them. That plus the way he has been so angry all of the time. He made such a scene at Givenchy's and poor Maria was just trying to have a sale in his honor.

Maybe I was wrong about him. Mother came over today and showed me how Angie Morelli had to tell him off in public. He did not look his best at all and I am thinking that if he drinks that much now, then he will only drink more later. He is a Morelli. He really seemed like he had beat their family curse. I sigh and look at the bottles in my pantry. Am I that bad? I definitely do not want to be on Youtube. I slowly pour all of them out and throw them away, just to be on the safe side.

Shirley also told me about those nice boys from Rangeman talking to the kids and that they clapped for a long time. Mrs. Brestler told Karen Thompson who told me all about how even more of the nice boys from Rangeman took her and her friends to bingo and helped them at the grocery store. Maybe Stephanie does work for a good company after all.

I heard from mother that she and her friends watch the bonds office for an hour every day and that Vincent is behaving like a real businessman these days. All of my gossip is second hand, but I think it is true. The big one is that Stephanie is dating that Mr. Manoso that came over here with her. She said he was an army ranger. That means he is good at what he does. What if that is true? Did that make me wrong? I don't know how I feel about that. I need to think.

 **Ranger POV**

Why me? I look at Tank, Lester, and Bobby and they tell me with their eyes that this is all on me. I nod at them and they start securing the FTAs. The takedown was going fine until we had outside interference and everything went FUBAR. There were shots fired, a car exploded, and people got hurt.

It is a mob scene here and I am telling you this is not my fault. I thought about what Babe told me and how Lester is being friendly with Gazzara and I decided to let the police Chief know of our dangerous takedowns so they could give us the space to do what we needed to do.

I emailed the particulars to Chief Buchannan this morning and he sent back a thank you for the professional courtesy. That is why we were so shocked to see Detective Morelli and some uniformed cop named Pickey approaching as we were securing the perps. We had both of them down and we were removing their weapons, when Morelli tried to muscle in and make it his arrest.

We asked him politely to back off. Meanwhile, they had a girlfriend and she came running out of the house with a gun and started shooting wildly. The cop fell down and broke his arm, Morelli got shot in the ass and his car took bullets to the gas tank and went up like the fourth of July. Bobby was able to knock the gun out of the woman's hand and he subdued her.

The cops and fire trucks came and all I could do was stand there and glare at Morelli. The chief himself came over to me to find out what happened. I explained to him that I did not know why Detective Morelli tried to intercede in our takedown, but that we had our FTAs and the woman on the ground is the one who shot Morelli and blew up his car. He nodded and I gave another statement to Carl Costanza.

Throughout this ordeal, Morelli has been yelling to anyone who would listen that we were thugs and that people called him because it seemed like we were invading the neighborhood and he was just doing his job. No one cares about his story, but I know the guys are filming this. Hell, we filmed all of our takedowns. I am sure Hector will put this on Youtube after he gives a copy to Gazzara. I just sigh. My phone rings and I know it is Babe.

"Yo." She sighs.

"Yo yourself. Carlos, are you alright? Do you need me to bring you anything?" I love this woman.

"I am fine, Babe. What happened was not our fault." She snorts.

"We took your advice, but a car still blew up and someone got shot." She gasps.

"Who got shot, Carlos?" I grin.

"Babe, Officer Morelli was shot during a scuffle and his car blew up as well." It is quiet for a few seconds and then she laughs loudly.

"I love you, Carlos. Next time there are shots fired, please call me so I know you are okay. This police band thingy does not give out enough information." I smile.

"I promise, Babe. I will be back to change within thirty minutes. I love you back." I had moved away from the crowd to take her call. The guys had cleared out and Tank was waiting for me at the car. I nodded at Costanza and he waved me off. Good.

In the car, Tank howls laughing. I smile. "That man is an ass. Why would he come to our takedown, Ric?"

I looked at him sideways.

"Pierre, you know why he showed up. He wants to make us look bad and if he was able to do that takedown with one green officer, he would be the man. His hubris got him shot in the ass for his troubles. This will not endear him to the Chief." Tank laughs again.

"He needs to just give it up. Whew. His car blew up, man and it was his own fault. It is like he has bad luck or something. Oh well. All's well that ends well. I have a date with the lovely Nurse Jenna tomorrow and I am glad we did not get shot, man." Me too.

It was just past noon when we got back to the office and I headed straight to my apartment to shower and change. That was close. When that chick started shooting, we all ducked like normal people. Morelli had tried to wrestle with her. She was clearly high on something because she was not even aiming. I shudder to think that Babe could have been after some crazies like that with Morelli being his own version of the Keystone Cops.

I get out of the shower and dress in the khaki version of my uniform. Tia Ella must be bored. I hear a bark and I see Max.

"Well, hello. Where is Babe?" He runs into the other room and I follow him.

Steph is sitting on the sofa with Chinese food waiting for me. She crosses her legs slowly and I follow the movement. Oh, Babe, stop teasing me.

"Hey there. I ordered us lunch. I had to get enough for the guys, too. I made them get broccoli, so do not take them to the mats." I pulled her to her feet and kissed her passionately. She runs her hands all over me and I want to say screw it to the rest of the day. I am sure I can pay someone to take my shift. I catch her hands.

"Babe, stop that! Wait until later, please." She blushes.

"I was checking you for injuries, and I guess I got a little carried away." You almost got carried into the bedroom, Stephanie.

"Thank you, Babe. I am hungry. Let's sit down and eat and you can get the gossip I know you want about Morelli." She bounces in her seat.

I kiss her gently and we eat and I tell my story complete with voices and sound effects and she falls all over laughing. At one point I thought she was going to pass out. She loved when the car blew up. My girlfriend is adorable. I smile all the way back to my office.

 **Stephanie POV**

This is the best day ever. I am so fucking giddy. Morelli got shot in the ass and his car blew up! I dance in my chair as I review files. Today's takedown could have been a lot differently. I am glad the ass did not get killed. He deserves to suffer. No quick death for him. Wow. I sound kind of morbid. Nope. He needs to be cured of his obsession with me.

Oh well. I make calls to Mary Lou, Gram and Connie and tell them the scoop and that it will be on Youtube later. I breeze through my work and give it to Lester. It was 5:30pm when I went to my apartment. I needed my lingerie. Tonight was the night.

Carlos comes into his apartment at 8pm and I watch him strip on his way to the shower.

"Nice show there, Ricardo." He stops and turns to see me handcuffed to the bed wearing a white bustier, white silk French cut panties and matching stockings and garters. I even have my shoes still on. I got Hal to tell me when Carlos was coming and to watch Max overnight. He will be scarred for life if he witnesses what we were going to do tonight. Hal agreed for a dozen large chocolate chip cookies. I told him tomorrow and we had a deal.

"Babe." I know this time it means, you are about to be attacked. He was standing there in just his boxers and he was breathing hard like he had been in a race.

"Do you need to talk to me about anything, Carlos?" I use my seductive voice. Yes, I have a seductive voice.

He steps towards me and sits next to my legs which are stretched out in front of me and slightly open. I watch as he gently runs his hand up my leg from my ankle, which he kisses to the apex of my thigh. I know I whimper.

"Babe, I need you to tell me what is off limits. I need to know so I do not go too far." He switches legs and repeats his earlier action.

"Carlos." He meets my stare.

"Nothing is off limits. Life is too short to hold back. I love you and I trust you. I also do not mind dirty talk. I am on the shots, so I want nothing between us. Take me, Carlos."

I am barely finished my little prepared speech when he rips off my panties and goes for dessert. Oh, yes, he is so good at that. I writhe in the handcuffs and I cum hard screaming his name.

"Si, Babe. You are so beautiful and amazing. Te amo, Babe." He takes off my stockings and shoes and slowly enters me. I wrap my legs around his back. Oh, yes, I can feel him stretching me. He finally seats himself fully and waits for me to adjust to his size. I moan and tighten my muscles on him. He moans and bites my neck.

"You are so fucking tight, Babe. Stop that before I cum already." I just give him a wicked look.

"As long as you cum in me, I don't care, Carlos. Do it. Make it yours." He moans again and thrusts slowly in and out over and over setting a rhythm that was the best! I tilt my head back and watch as he makes love to me. Mmmm. My man is a sex god! Every time I cum, he licks my nipples or kisses my lips. His hands are everywhere. The buildup is amazing.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes!" I black out.

At some point, we eat and shower and go back to bed, but I have too much energy, so I dress in a sports bra and tiny shorts and put some music on. I shut the door so Carlos could sleep. I should have known he would get up.

"Babe, we have a rule about leaving me alone in bed." I smile. He looks all sleepy.

"Carlos, I did not leave the apartment." He just stares at me.

"Nope. Now you have broken a rule. Defend yourself." I open my mouth to speak and I am pinned to the floor in seconds.

"Carlos, I love you and I had too much energy. I was going to work out a little to make myself sleepy." He kisses me.

"I see I was to gentle with you, my love. I will remember that for next time. I forgive you." I smile and shove him.

"Thank you. Now get off me, I am not finished my workout." He kisses my neck.

"Yes the fuck you are." He pulls my shorts off and plunges into me making me thankful the music is playing so my scream is camouflaged.

"Oh, baby!" He continues thrusting into me.

"Just take it. Take me. I love you. You are so beautiful. So sweet. So special. You make me so happy. Girl, don't ever leave me." Wow.

"Never, baby. Never. We are forever." I bend my legs back to touch the carpet behind me and he growls.

Bad Stephanie is a freak so she gives me some things to say. "Harder, lover. Cum for me, Ricky. Spray that nut all over me. Mark me as yours, Carlos." He roars and pinches my clit making me cum hard.

He pulls out and cums in my hair on my face my breasts and my pussy. I dip my fingers in it and lick it off. When did I turn into such a freak?

Carlos likes it. "You are my nasty bitch aren't you?" I shudder and nod.

"All yours baby. Whatever you need. We are taking vitamins tonight."

"Si, Estefania. You nympho." I glare at him.

"You attacked me, Carlos." He smiles at me.

"That was Ricky. He is always horny." I laugh and kiss him. We race to the bedroom and hit the shower. I fall asleep with my man cuddled next to me and his breath in my ears.


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. This chapter is mostly fluff, but it is good fluff. The rating is earned for some language and sex.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

The phone wakes me up again. I am starting to realize the drawbacks of living in a building full of men who love to be all you can be. I reach for the phone without opening my eyes.

"What?" There is a chipper person on the other end that is so lucky I am not within shooting range of them right now.

"Heyyyy Beautiful!" Why does Lester hate me? Doesn't he know that Carlos tried to kill me and I am pretty sure I am dehydrated right now?

"What is it, Lester? Something?" He laughs.

"I just wanted to remind you that we have paintball war today and you and the Bossman have to come since it was your idea. Also, can you settle an argument I am having with Hal? He said that maybe he is getting a puppy and I said he can't. If he gets a puppy, then Tank will get to bring his cats here and I am getting an iguana." I counted to ten. Nope. I am still irked.

"Lester, I am aware of the paintball war and we are coming. War will not be declared until 0900. It is not even 0600 yet. If you have a problem, get Ella to help you. Get off my phone!" I hang up. Carlos comes into the bedroom. He had better stay on his side of the bed for the next hour or else.

"Was that the guys?"

"Yes." He growls.

"I told them to leave you alone and to let Ella help them."

"Right. They will always go over your head." He just stares at me.

"So calling you is going over my head, Estefania?" I nod at him. What is with the tray?

"Yes, Ricky it is."

"Stephanie you will pay for that one." I shrug.

"I will have my boyfriend beat you up and ship you to fuckistan." He smiles.

"As long as you are in the crate with me, Babe." That was so sweet.

He puts down the tray and I attacked him.

"Why are you so fucking sweet to me, Carlos?" He gives me a wolf grin.

"Because I want that pussy, Babe. Open up for me, baby."

"Ohhhh! Baby, harder." He tricked me somehow, but I do not care.

"Yeah, girl. I love this pussy." He really lets loose with me.

"Take it, Carlos. Take it all. I open my legs into a split and lift my hips." He is moaning.

"Girl I could live in this pussy. Don't stop, Steph." We meet each other's thrusts. I rake my nails down his back and he bites my neck.

I moan. "I'm gonna cum baby. Give it to me."

"Ohhh, girl. I am about to give it to you." He rubs my clit and we both cum hard. We lay there shuddering and catching our breath. He gets up and gives me the tray and we eat. I kiss him and suggest we get dressed before the guys call us again. The phone rings. Too late.

It's my phone, so I answer it on speakerphone.

"Hello." There is giggling laughter.

"Hola Estefania. Are you coming to dinner at Abuela's manana?" She is evil to use my little baby Woki like this.

"Good morning, Joaquin. Will you be there, baby?" He giggles again.

"Si, will you come so I can sit by you?" I adore this child. I am going to be extra bitchy to Portia and Elena.

"Yes, Woki. I will come and I will bring your Tio Ric as well. Do you want me to bring you anything, Sweetie?" I hear whispering and then he is back.

"Si, Estefania. Can you bring a dessert again? I liked the pies. Can you bake a lemon cake for me? It is my favorite?" Of course I can.

"Sure, Woki. I will bake the lemon cake for you, baby." He cheers.

"Gracias, Estefania! I will see you tomorrow. You are so pretty!" He hangs up and I flop down on the bed.

"Carlos, we are having dinner with your mother tomorrow. She made Woki call me. I am baking a lemon cake. If your sisters try that bitchy shit, I will respond in kind." He kisses me.

"Babe, that sounds fine. Listen, yesterday I was talking about an actual pie. Why do you bake for the guys and not for me? Do I need to add another rule?" I turn and face him.

"Carlos, you are the sugar natzi around here like the soup natzi on Seinfeld. You saw the guys with pie. They followed it around like a cartoon. They are afraid of you. Dammit! The one day I decided that I was skipping the gym, I feel like I have to go."

I stomp into the bathroom and take a shower and put on a sports bra, one of Carlos' tee shirts and yoga pants with my sneakers and stomp out of the apartment to work out. All I wanted was to sleep past 0700. I even think in army time now.

I am turning into one of them. Wait. If I am turning into one of them, that means I am hot! Go me! I do a dance in the stairwell and I am picked up and thrown over Carlos' shoulder and carried the rest of the way to the gym to the sounds of his laughter.

 **Ranger POV**

I am in a great mood this morning. Poor Babe. The guys cannot sleep late no matter what day it is unless they are hung over. It is one of the things you get used to with living in the building. Babe looked so cute stomping around, that I followed her to find her dancing in the stairwell.

I guess her good mood got a second wind. Good, because after we got sweaty, it would be time to take another shower. Of course Babe would be a temptress and take off her clothes in front of me. I would be a fool not to capitalize on that.

Making love to her with no restrictions is just out of this world. I do not have to censor myself or worry about offending her. She knows that sometimes, you just get into a moment. I look over and see that Hal has Max.

I get off of my treadmill and go get the dog. He looks a little mopey. I pick him up and he almost snuggles within my arms. He missed us! I hold him and watch Babe and most of the guys do Move Your Body with Beyoncé and then they do line dancing. When she is finished, I hand her a bottle of water and we take the elevator to the seventh floor.

"Babe, Max missed you. Look at him." She takes him and he really snuggles with her.

"Poor puppy. We did not disappear. Do you really want to go to paintball with us, Max? You could stay here with Ella?" He barks a hell no. It is funny.

"What about Woki?" Max just stares at her.

"Fine, you can go to see Woki. I have to take a shower now, Max." She sets him on the bed and he goes to sleep on her pillow. The dog is officially spoiled.

Today will be fun because I will have my Babe with me. I am prepared to endure the rest of the guys if I can spend more time with her. My phone rang and I answered it naked. I gave her a head start, but now it was my turn.

"Yo." I stared at the bathroom door.

"Hello, Ricardo." Who is this?

"It has been a long time since we have seen each other. You usually call if you need help with a distraction. Is your business not doing well anymore?" Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"Hello, Jeanne Ellen. Business is great and I have not called you for assistance because I have not needed it. Was there something else you needed? I have a meeting that I need to be on time for." She chuckles.

"A meeting? On a Saturday? You are such a workaholic, Ricardo. Why don't you take some time out for yourself and go out to dinner with me tonight? We can talk about old times." There are no old times.

"Jeanne Ellen, no thank you. There are no old times and you know it." She laughs again.

"Let's make some old times, then. Stop playing coy. You know we would be perfect together." Hell no.

"No, we are not perfect together. You are not my type." Please get off the phone.

"What? I have the same skills you do!" So what?

"Yes you can shoot a gun, so what? That means nothing in a relationship. Just accept that I don't want you and leave me alone. Have a good day, Jeanne Elllen." I need to hang up.

"You are going to die an old man all alone, Ricardo." She hangs up. No I won't. I have Babe.

I race to the shower and catch her washing her hair. I massage her back and kiss her neck. She rinses while I soap up.

"Ricky?"

"Yes, Babe?" She turns to me.

"If that bitch comes around here, I will fuck her up. I will not hold back. I just wanted to let you know that." Oh, Babe. I lift her and she puts her legs around my back. We make love slowly and I kiss her the whole time.

"Babe, she is my Morelli, except she has skills. She is fixated on me and I don't know why." She just gives me a look.

"Take a look in the mirror, man! You are what women fantasize about when they fake it with their men. And that is before they know anything about you. You have worked with that hussy and she has seen the dark, mysterious commando and she wants you. Now get out of here so I can do my hair." I kiss her neck and leave the bathroom.

Women fantasize about me? I mean I know I am attractive, but I don't encourage them. Before I met Babe, I only went out when I wanted sex. I know that sounds bad, but what woman would accept my relationship rules and agree to carry a tracker, a gun and deal with my hours, being a target, my dangerous lifestyle and a building full of guys just like me?

Then you add on my family. Babe does all of that and she still cooked for me, baked for me and she gave me massages whenever I needed them. She did not want to be a kept woman. She insisted on working. She is phenomenal. I go back into the bathroom and bend Babe backwards and kiss her again.

"Te amo, Estefania." She looks dazed and I go get dressed in sweats and a tee shirt with a zip up hoodie jacket and boots. Let the games begin.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I am in hell. How much longer until I can get out of here? My mother visited me yesterday and told me I should not have messed with those nice boys from Rangeman and that they had everything under control. She yelled at me that I was incompetent and that maybe I should take the demotion to officer again because being a detective seemed like too much work for me. She then spent fifteen minutes naming women whose sons did not have their cars blown up. I was grateful for the pain meds and I got some sleep.

My first visitor of the day was the Captain and he said I am on report because I did not have cause to interfere with that takedown and someone could have been hurt and sued the city. He left and a long line of old ladies came by to see if my ass was really hairy. Even Edna came. She said she was going to call me Hairy Joe from now on.

Now I am sitting here listening to Terri Gilman give me the 'it's not you, it's me' speech. I hate her now, too. I asked my mother if they told Cupcake I was in the hospital and she said how can I expect someone else's girlfriend to visit me. She then tsked me and said that I never visited Stephanie when she was in a coma. She was in a coma, what was the point?

Why does everyone keep saying she has a boyfriend?

Mooch comes to visit me and sits down and eats some of the casserole that Ma left here.

"How are you feeling there, Joe?" He is smiling.

"What is going on, Mooch? Why are you smiling now?" I want him to get to the point.

"So, the guys at Rangeman had a paintball war today." Like I give a fuck.

"So what?" He just smiles. What?

"The losing team had to treat the winning team to lunch." It is like he is trying to make my head hurt worse than my ass.

"They went to Applebee's and Shirley Gazzara told Ma that you could see the paint on their clothes and they were all laughing and joking with each other. I heard they tipped the waitresses $100 each." Why do I need to know this?

"That's just great. I lay here with my ass exposed by this hospital gown and listening to Ma tell me off and the old biddies coming by all damned day and now you come and tell me about a nice lunch the goons at Rangeman had? What are you, crazy? I don't care about them." I look away from Mooch.

"Don't you want to hear about the winning team? Ranger's team lost you know. That guy Lester, you know the nice guy that helps Vinnie with the bonds, he had a team and Ranger had a team. They set him up and he lost. I would have lost, too." I am trying to tune him out.

"That is nice, Mooch, really. How is the rest of the family? Have you found a better job yet?" I have to change the subject or I will scream at him.

"Joe, you have no patience. I was telling you a story. Anyway, you would know the answer to this, but if Theresa Gilman was playing paintball with you and she suddenly fell down in front of you, wouldn't you try to help her up, maybe see if she was hurt?" I nod and he claps.

"That is how Ranger lost. They got his girlfriend to distract him by falling down. Instead of shooting her, he picked her up and kissed her. He had been hiding but she found him and shot him! That sounds funny. I heard they were all laughing it up and Ranger and his girlfriend were inseparable, holding hands and all of that." Can you feel your brain melt?

"Shirley told Ma that the girlfriend had very little paint on her. That means she played well with all of those guys."

"Why do I care about some skirt that is probably getting passed around by Ranger and all of his thugs?" I want to press the call button to make him disappear.

"Joe, I know Stephanie is faithful to Ranger. You don't want to start saying she is getting passed around. She is not that kind of woman. Man, you are so mean!" What the fuck did he just say?

"What do you mean Cupcake is faithful to Ranger?" He looks at me like I am stupid.

"Haven't you been listening to a word I have said? Stephanie and Ranger are an item. Mrs. Kuntz told Grandma Bella that Mrs. Brestler heard from Edna that she met his family and everything. It sounds serious, Joe." I press the call button and the nurse comes into the room.

"Yes, Mr. Morelli?" She is a looker.

"I want no more visitors. Please make him leave." She looks at Mooch and raises an eyebrow.

"Fine, I will leave. You are such a grouch! Feel better anyway, Joe." He takes some cookies and leaves the room. Good.

What is happening in the world? I am having bad luck or something. Why do I still smell cookies? I look, but there are no more. I cannot believe Cupcake is with Manoso. What could she possibly see in that thug? He is not better than me.

 **Stephanie POV**

I took a nap after we returned from Applebee's. Today was fun, and Carlos said we used good tactics. The guys had protested us being on the same team. They were right; we would only focus on each other. They let me pick the restaurant and I picked one that was near the Burg, but not really.

I had called Mary Lou and she sent her husband for takeout and Lester called Eddie and he sent Shirley. She happened to see us and she came over for the story which we all took turns telling her. Carlos even played along and kissed me while Shirley looked. It was so great. Now I have baking to do. The phone rings.

"Hello?" I hear breathing and sniggering.

"He put me out of his hospital room!" He laughs. I have always like Mooch. He never tried to play choo choo with the girls. He was still a Morelli, but he was not an alcoholic or anything and ever since the Tasty Pastry incident, he has been my friend in secret. He said that Joe was an ass and I did not deserve how he treated me. He is having fun messing with Joe.

"What did you do, Mooch?"

"I told him you and Ranger had a paintball war and your team won and you guys were all lovey dovey and he finally understood that you are together. So that was fun. Let me know the next time you want me to mess with him. He never gave me credit for finishing trade school." That is true.

"I am no rich guy, but I treat my wife okay. I ain't never hit her, and lately, I have not been drinking. Lorraine loves that I got a jug of tea if you know what I mean. Anyway, thanks for the cookies and you can call me." He hung up. Heh heh. It always helped to have an inside man. Mooch was always decent.

That was good news. I went back to baking the lemon cake for Woki and the cookies for Hal. Max was with Carlos, who was on monitors.

Gram called me as I was icing the cake.

"Chicky, your mother is really thinking a lot lately and she poured out all of her liquor. The gossip is getting to her. So, I need a favor." This could be interesting.

"What do you need, Gram?"

"I want a couple of the guys to go with us to Stiva's. Something seems a little off lately and I guess we want backup." I took a deep breath. How could I fix this? Oh, right I knew what was going on. I could just send a file to the FBI.

"Gram, I am sure if you call Hector or Cal, they will go with you."

"Okay, I will call them, Stephie." We hang up and I clean up the kitchen.

Next, I go to the fifth floor and create the files for everyone involved in the Stiva's operation and I type it all and print it separately. I package it and ask Hector to mail it without getting his fingerprints on it from NYC and without being seen. He tells me no problem and leaves. Diesel said I could give hints.

On my way back to my apartment, I stop and see Carlos on monitors.

 **Ranger POV**

I have had a good day and the guys love teasing me that I feel for the movie chic ploy. When I saw Babe fall, I just immediately wanted to help her. She knows me well. I love my woman and I know she called in the gossips so they could see her. She is not hiding from the Burg; she is just hiding from Morelli.

It was not a hardship to kiss her or to hold her hand. The real test of all of our resolve was watching and listening to Babe eat dessert. She moaned the whole time and she licked the spoon. Monitor duty was the most boring detail, but it was about to get better. I could smell cake, so I know Babe is behind me.

"Hey there, Babe." She kisses my neck and plays with my hair. Just a simple touch, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

"Hey there, Batman. When is my boyfriend off work?" I catch her hand and turn my head slightly to kiss it. She sighs.

"I am leaving here at 2000, Babe, but I will be on call for the rest of the night. You can set up the food and I will choose the movie when I get up there." She gasps. Yes I remembered movie night and we missed it last night.

"Kiss me, Steph and go get things ready. I actually want a large salad. You can put meat on it if you want." She smiles at me.

"I know what I will fix, Carlos. I will see you up there." She kisses me and walks away.

Ram sighs. "Wow, Ranger, she completely ignored me and I am sitting right here. She is so into you, man." I smile inwardly.

"She did not ignore you, Ram. I am sure she will send you some cookies or something. Where is the dog?" Ram smiled.

"He went with Hal for his evening walk, Ranger. Hal really likes Max." I know. I liked Max, too. Right on schedule, Max comes bounding up to me and sits there. I reach down and scratch behind his ears. He gives me ten minutes before he starts whimpering. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and I pick him up. Ram watches slack jawed while I let the puppy snuggle into me and go to sleep.

"Go ahead and ask, Ramsey." He takes a deep breath.

"Are you serious about Steph? I mean, I have not seen you with a woman before. She is our friend, and I just wanted to know, because you seem more human lately." I smile at him.

"Stephanie is my woman and I am very serious about her. I can do my job and still be the man she wants and needs me to be." I check the time again and it is 1955. I stand up.

"Have a good rest of the night, Ramsey. If you have an emergency, do not hesitate to call me." He nods as I cuddle the puppy in a badass way. Whatever.

In my apartment, I set Max on his bed. We both know his spoiled self will be in our bed tonight. Our bed. I loved that. I went straight to the bedroom and took a shower. I dressed in a tee shirt and Batman pajama pants. Ella is hilarious. Babe is carrying large bowls to the coffee table. I choose Scream as my movie and she giggles when I kiss her.

"Hello, Carlos. I will be right back." She kisses my cheek and runs out of the apartment wearing Wonder Woman pajamas and blue fuzzy slippers. She had a bag and her key fob in her hand. I sit and look at the salads she made for us and I see she has different greens and bean sprouts, tomatoes and cucumbers with some cabbage as well.

There are glazed salmon strips on top. I want to ask her when she learned to cook. Babe had told me before that she hated cooking. Maybe she hated not having anyone to cook for. She came back laughing and sat down.

"Where did you go, Babe?" She picks up her salad and starts eating.

"I took cookies to Hal and Ram, Carlos. I also baked the lemon cake for Woki tomorrow and maybe I baked you a pie." I love her so much. I pressed play and we watched the people get killed. By the middle of the movie, Babe had crawled into my lap and Max jumped onto the couch and was next to us. When the movie ended, I noticed Steph had fallen asleep. I carried her to bed and put the puppy next to her and I cleaned up.

I was about to get into bed when my phone rang. "Yo." It was going to be a long night. I wrote Babe a note and got dressed. I know she understands, but I hate leaving her. At least she knows I will be back, and I will. I look at her one last time and leave to handle the emergency.

 **Steph POV**

"Why can't you do anything right, Cupcake?!" He punched me and I went down. Dinner had been lasagna and not spaghetti like he apparently wanted. Joe had gone into a rage and thrown it against the wall and then he came after me. I was holding on to my side and leaning against the wall for support. I knew he was not done with me.

"Maybe this is a cry for help. You must need to be reminded of who you belong to. You will learn to do as I say, Cupcake." Dread filled me as he pulled me through the house to the stairs and up to our bedroom. I really did not want this, so I began struggling against him. It was not that the sex itself hurt, it was that he beat me the whole time. That was not the worst part.

He backhanded me and I fell against the bed anyway. The whole time he was 'teaching me a lesson', I just tried to disappear inside my mind. It would not work. I could smell him and feel his body pressing me into the mattress.

What I hated the worst were the things he would say to me. He would chant that I was his and that no one else would ever want me anyway and that I was lucky to be married to him. He made me tell him that I loved him. If I did not say it, then he would continue to slap at me and twist my arms. My left arm had just healed from the last time he broke it. I was whimpering and I heard barking. Did we get a dog? No, he said no to a dog.

He was choking me and telling me to say it. The barking was getting louder. If I did not say I loved him, he would kill me. It would be worth it. I took a deep breath and screamed. A moment later, I fell off the bed and I heard Max barking. I tried to catch my breath, but I suddenly felt nauseous. I almost crawled to the bathroom, feeling phantom pains and I washed my face. I hugged Max and put him back on the floor.

I stared at myself in the mirror and reminded myself that that was not my life anymore. I felt sweaty so I showered and changed the sheets. I found Carlos' note and went to the kitchen to make some oatmeal and some tea. I have to stop having these nightmares.

I sighed and walked into the living room to see Carlos standing there.

"You alright, Babe?" Just seeing him lifted my spirits and I hugged him.

"You broke a rule, Carlos." He laughed and kissed me.

"I left you a note." I smile and pull him into the bedroom.

"Nope, not good enough. Strip, Carlos." He got dressed in his pajamas and cuddled with me.

"Do you want to talk about what woke you up, Querida?"I did want to tell him, but I can't.

"Carlos, I think that movie got to me and then you were not here with me so I had a nightmare. Max woke me up." He kisses me.

"There was an alarm at a property and we handled it. Do you feel better now, Stephanie?" He is perfect.

"Yes. Now, let's go back to sleep. I love you, Carlos." He pulls me so that I am lying on top of him and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, Babe. I am here, Querida." I fell back to sleep with him stroking my scalp.


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Ranger POV**

After our workout and breakfast, Babe told me she had to go to her apartment for a while, so I took the time to work on paperwork. She took Max with her, so I was alone when I got the call that someone was in the lobby asking for me. I asked Jack who it was and he said it was Cat Lady and hung up. Why was this woman stalking me?

I looked at what I was wearing, ripped dark blue jeans, an Army long sleeved tee and I had on my boots. I sighed and called Tank for backup and told him to wear jeans. I guess we can pick up lunch. Babe likes Boston Market so I placed a large order online for the guys that are here and I sent them an email. I texted Babe that I was picking up lunch and she said okay. Once Tank said he was ready, I left.

In the lobby, I could see why Jack called her Cat Lady. She was in tight black leather pants and she was wearing a black leather jacket open over a black tee shirt. She had her blonde hair in a sleek ponytail and she was wearing black knee boots that had a serious heel on them. Tank exited the stairwell dressed similarly to me.

"Hello, Ricardo. It is nice to see you." She approached me like she was giving me a hug and I moved away from her.

"Jeanne Ellen, today is Sunday. There are no meetings scheduled and I told you already that I do not need you for professional purposes. Why are you here?" Jack was watching the whole event.

She strutted closer and Tank flanked me. We both moved to the side to avoid her again. She smiles and I do not see any warmth in it.

"I told you I wanted to go out with you, Ricardo. Let's go to lunch. It can be my treat." I just gave her a flat look.

"No, thank you, Jeanne Ellen. I am not interested in dating you. At all." There, I think that was pretty clear.

She chuckles. "Fine, we can skip lunch and go to your apartment and have a little fun. I know you live here." Nope.

"That also will not be happening, Jeanne Ellen. Please leave." She actually stomps her foot in frustration at me.

"You are a fool, Ricardo! Do you know how many men would like to sleep with me?!" I just continue to stare at her.

"Why don't you call one of them, then? You are not welcome here any longer. Do you need help finding the door?" She growls at me.

"How can anyone put up with you! You are making a big mistake. You are impossible!" She turns and leaves, slamming the door. Well, I feel so horrible. Not.

"Let's hit it Tank. Thanks for the back up." He smiles at me.

"Let's take my Escalade, Ric. I am sure that you ordered a shitload of grub for all of us. Little Girl is such a good influence on you." I smile and give him a fist bump as we take the stairs to the underground garage.

I can use this time to get the details of his date out of him We drive around for ten minutes to lose Jeanne Ellen who had been tailing us. She needs to really give up. My heart and body belong to a curly haired blue eyed beauty. I wonder what she is doing.

 **Stephanie POV**

"I may not be the smartest girl in the world, White Girl, but didn't you say that two of his sisters hate you a little bit?" We were on a three way conversation and I was talking to Connie and Lula. They were at Lula's house doing each other's pedicures.

"She is right, Steph. You need to think about tactics. What would you do to embarrass someone? Take that and then go even meaner and plan to counter it." Connie makes a good point.

"Yup, then watch their hands, girl. You know they will cut you." I laugh at Lula. She is hilarious.

"How have you guys been feeling with working out and eating differently?" The both laugh.

"Steph, I had to be the food police for Lula a couple of times and she has had to force me to continue with the spinning class, but I think we are over the hump and now we work out every day around lunch time except Sundays." She sounded really pleasant.

"So how do you like the way the Grapevine is going these days?" They giggle.

"White Girl, they are all hysterical about Morelli getting shot in the ass. That man must have broken a mirror and walked under a ladder or something because you ain't do nothing but tell the truth and he is just having loads of bad luck. Miss Edna confirmed that his ass is all kinds of hairy, too. Were you really gonna date his gorilla ass?" I sigh.

"I had thought about it, Lula, but I changed my mind." She snorts.

"Girl, it was a no-brainer. Batman is the shit. He cares about your ass, too. He let your granny feel all over him at Givenchy's and he just smiled at her. Girl, people was talking. What you got for us for this week?" I grinned.

"I will be having some meetings, so I will be spotted in different places. It will just frustrate him that he always misses me." There was silence.

"So, we can't do nothing?" I hold in my laughter.

"Well, Lula. Maybe you and Connie could send a get well gift for Morelli to the police station. You could show him that you care about his safety and all of that." She howls laughing.

"Girl, you want us to send him some tiny condoms? I am on it. I might add some hemoroid cream just for fun. Good idea. We mess with him a little bit at a time."

I hear a ding. "Thanks for the ideas, guys. I have to go." They hang up and I go back to the kitchen. I know his sisters are mean and they want to find something wrong with me. Hey I have faults like everyone else, but I am not a mean girl unless you hurt someone I care about. There is a knock on my door and I open it to see Manny. He looks better.

"Hey, Steph. Lunch is here. I said I would let you know since you were not answering your phone." I check my pockets.

"Oh, I must have left it in the bedroom. Thanks, Manny. I will be right down." I look at the clock and it is 1400. Perfect. Max and I leave the apartment to have a fun lunch with the guys. It is great living here.

 **Helen POV**

I left church in a good mood. People were talking and they were not talking about my daughter for a change. Well, they were, but not in a bad way. I have decided to leave her alone about her job and if she comes over for dinner, I will try harder to be pleasant. How could she not want to make a nice home? I got such a joy out of keeping house.

I talked to that nice Maria Givenchy yesterday and she said her cousin Silvia DelGado could use some help at the bookstore a few days a week and would I be interested. I told her yes. Mother told me that I spend too much time alone in the house and that maybe that is what is wrong with me. I am resentful of her saying that something is wrong with me, but I will have something to look forward to and Frank goes to his lodge all the time anyhow.

I stopped at the bakery because I told Frank and Mother that I would bring something home for after lunch. I tasted those churros and they are so good, so I got them and a loaf of bread for dinner. Ever since Katrina took over the Tasty Pastry from her great aunt, it has had a lively feel on the inside. Mother was waiting for me on the steps and I checked the time. It was almost 2pm, which was our lunch time on Sundays so I am not late.

"Hello, Helen. It is good to see you. You look well rested." I will not admit it to her, but I think the difference is my drinking. I have not had any in a few days and I can tell the difference.

"Hello, Mother. You visit me quite regularly. One would never know you moved out." She laughs and takes the box out of my hands. I remove my jacket and wash my hands.

"Helen, don't be silly. I party more now and me and my homies do things around town. I almost felt bad for abandoning you, but I hear that you will be working at the bookstore, so that is a good thing. You need to do things that are just for you sometimes." We sit down to eat the sandwiches she made.

"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let's dish." She is so funny.

"Where is Frank?" She waves me off.

"I packed his lunch to go and sent him to the park. I told him his ass will be the size of that recliner if he is not careful. He needs to feed the ducks or something, so I sent him out. Now let me have your best dirt!"

I sit back and we talk about poor Angela Morelli. She must feel horrible to have people talking about her family like that. It's all true, too. That is the kicker. Mother tells me that there is a dance coming up for Halloween to benefit the Salvation Army and that she was going with her peeps.

"Do you think Stephanie is doing alright, Mother?" She smiles at me.

"She is fine, Helen. Give the girl some credit. Don't worry. She calls me to check in." That is good.

"Does she hate me?" Mother sighs.

"Helen, you spent a lot of time putting her down because she is not just like you. I know she does not hate you, but no one wants to be around all that negativity. You are making some changes. You still need me, and look how old you are." I grin and smack her hand. She was sweet sometimes.

"Just try to see her as a grown woman and not some unruly child. Maybe you can see her for her birthday. That is in a week. Behave yourself and I will set something up. She is doing great, you will see." A week. I can do that. I smile and nod at her.

"Okay, I will behave. You do look younger, Mother." She cackles laughing.

"It's because I am getting some!" And we are back. I know my lines.

"Mother, really!" She continues laughing. I think her moving out was a good thing. We would have driven each other crazy after much longer.

 **Ranger POV**

Lunch was a hit and the guys all hugged Babe even though I was the one that paid for the food. The ingrates. She just giggled and hugged them and pet the puppy. We were walking around a park that was one whole town away. Babe killed me hiding from the Burg.

She told me about her meetings she would have this week around town and I agree that they seem like a good idea as long as she takes backup and wears one of her jackets. We stop at a bench and sit next to her dad.

"Hey there, Pumpkin. Hello, Manoso." We shake hands and he sighs.

"What is wrong, Daddy?" He looks at her sadly.

"Edna is right. I ignored a lot of Helen's yapping just to get her to leave me alone. I am sorry, Pumpkin. You look great and I see that you seem happy. This is a cute puppy. Maybe I should get a dog." I smile as Max jumps around showing off.

Babe hugs her dad. "Daddy, just do not dwell on it. I know you care and that is the important thing. Now that Gram is out of the house, you can do more things for yourself." He hugs her again and turns to me.

"I see you have my Pumpkin in a Jeep." I smile.

"Yes, sir." He nods at me. Heh heh. She told me about her dad's love of American cars.

"Good American car." I nod at him and then we both laugh. I hand him the box of cigars I got him and he kisses Babe goodbye.

"See you this week, Pumpkin." She smiles.

"It's a date, Daddy." He leaves after petting Max and Babe leans her head on my shoulder. I card my fingers through her hair.

"What's bothering you, mi amor?" She bites her lip and looks at me.

"Carlos, you know tonight's dinner at your parent's house is going to be brutal right? Elena and Portia will be out for blood. They have had time to prepare." Sadly, she is right. I take out the bracelet I bought her and put it on her left wrist.

She studies it and holds out her arm. It is a platinum chain link bracelet, but the links are really infinity symbols that interlock. It fits her well. She kisses me and we break apart when Max barks. I pick him up.

"Thank you, Carlos. I love it." She smiles at me and goes back to staring at the bracelet.

"Babe, we are new, but to me, we are forever. Every day with you is better than the last. I love your honesty and your spirit. Don't let a few negative people take that from you. I will be there with you tonight. Just smile when they irk you and don't forget, you are coming home with me."

She giggles and she does look great in the jeans she is wearing. I know she will change clothes again. I will change my shirt, but that is it.

"Let's go, Steph." She shivers and I kiss her neck. Was my voice husky just now? Maybe it was. I want her all the time. Babe was mine and anyone who did not like it did not matter.

 **Stephanie POV**

I decided to wear my gold wrap dress that is a thin sweater material and comes to just above my knees. I am wearing dark brown stockings and brown knee boots with my gold and white jacket. I have a duffle bag in the car with a change of clothes. I also leave the second cake in the car. Just in case. We walk hand in hand to the house and Ana meets us at the door.

"Hola Estefania! Oh you baked a cake. Here I will take it to the cocina. Carlitos, take her to the family room!" She kisses him on the cheek and he puts our coats in the closet. I am carrying a large but stylish pocket book just so I can carry my gun. Max whines so I pick him up.

"Estefania!" That is all of the warning I get before Woki attaches himself to my legs. I hand Max to Carlos and pick up Woki who looks adorable in his jeans and long sleeved tee shirt that has the fantastic four on it.

"Hello, Joaquin. You look great in that tee shirt." He grins.

"Cal told me he like the fantastic four, too, Estefania. You look pretty." I smile and kiss his cheek.

"Thank you, Sweetie." I sit down and he gets comfortable in my lap and plays with my fingers.

"Did you bake the cake for me?" He looks at me with those sweet brown eyes. I hear someone suck their teeth and I ignore it. I nod.

"Yes, Woki, of course I did. How is the reading going?" We talk about cartoons and reading and that he can write his name. He invites me to his birthday party again and I agree to come. He says I have to dress up and I just smile and nod.

"Sure thing, Sweetie." He gets to his knees on the couch behind me so he can play with my hair. His mother reaches out to stop him but I wave her off. Carlos mutters that the little Romeo had better watch it and I smack him.

"What will your costume be, Estefania?" I distinctly hear someone say in Spanish that I should dress as a witch. I ignore that one, too.

"Woki, I am not sure. I guess it will have to be a surprise." He hugs me from behind and I smile. Carlos takes a picture with his phone. I pull my new hairstylist back into my lap.

"Who will you be, Woki?" He grins and strikes a pose. I hear more snide remarks.

"I will be Batman, Estefania!" He turns the puss n boots look to Carlos who did not have time to block it. Woki is getting whatever he asks for.

"Tio Ric, will you dress as Batman and come to my party, too?" I snort. Lula and Gram would pay me for a picture of Carlos in a Batman suit.

"Well, I may have to work that night, Joaquin. If I come to your party I will have to wear my uniform for work." Woki thinks about it.

"Okay, you can be a commando guy. Do you have a machine gun?" I giggle and give Carlos a look.

"Actually, those are top secret, Joaquin. They are not for parties. I will wear my street gear. I promise to look scary." He does the blank face and Joaquin claps.

"Okay, everyone! It is time for dinner! Let's get to the table." Celia tries to take Joaquin away, but he refuses. Since she has two other kids to worry about, she shrugs and gives me a look that I know means give him back when he gets on your nerves.

Woki continues to babble at me about how high he can count and do I like to dance. He also offered to show me his superhero men the next time I visited him. He is so adorable. We sat at the table and Carlos was still grumbling. I kissed his cheek.

"Hey, what is wrong?" He nods at the little boy happily sitting on my lap.

"He asks you on dates, to parties and now he wants you to come to his room to see his superhero men. He is after my woman!" I giggle at him.

I know he is being silly to diffuse the tension at the table. Portia and her husband Javier are across from us as well as Elena and her husband Valentino. They call him Tino. He was not here the last time. Celia and Emilio and Isabella are at the other end of the table, so I would get no help there. Ricardo was seated at this end of the table and Maria was at the other end to supervise the rest of the kids. She was abuela after all.

I wait for their opening salvo. In the meantime, I fix a plate Woki, who loves being doted on. He talks to me about how he goes to preK starting in November and I tell him that he could make friends.

He said they had to be good at running and they had to like dogs and superheroes and they could be a girl if they were cool and did not want to play house because he did not like playing house. I ate and watched his face. He was so serious. I really wanted to keep him.

"So, Estefania, do you want children of your own or will you always play the role of babysitter?" That was from Portia. She had kids after all.

"I think that I would like to have children one day. There is no rush right now. She gives me a fake smile.

"Hopefully you will have them within the sanctity of a marriage." Wow. Elena is up next.

"Oh, but you know what they say, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free, though it does not seem free judging by your jewelry. Is that a new bracelet?" I smile at her and kiss Carlos' cheek.

"What Carlos and I share is very special. Yes, my bracelet is new. I see that you have none. Is there a problem with your milk there, Elena or are you not seeing anyone?" She gasps.

"Bruja Blanca!" Wow, White Witch. That is the best she can do?

"Elena! Behave!" I guess Maria is paying attention.

"Estefania, I am full and I ate my vegetables. When you are finished, can we take Max outside?" He is adorable. I kiss his head.

"If your mother is alright with that, Joaquin, you may come with me to walk Max." Carlos kisses my hand.

"So, Ricky did you meet Estefania's family or is she afraid to take her fling home?" This was from Portia. Carlos sighs and wipes his mouth.

"Portia Ariana Manoso, you will stop being disrespectful to my novia. I mean it. You do not want to cross me. Mama will not be able to help you. Instead of being catty and childish, you should be thanking Steph for getting all the kids their panic and tracker chains. Yes, it was her idea. I have met her family. Now back off." He seemed so scary, and then he ruined it by cuddling the puppy. I love my man.

"Dinner was delicious, Maria. After I walk Max, I will be happy to help you in the kitchen. Come on, Woki, let's get your jacket, Sweetie." I kiss Carlos again and we walk outside. Max and Woki play for fifteen minutes before I decide it is time to go inside. Woki goes inside with Max and I head into the kitchen where I am immediately covered in cake from head to toe.

"Oh no! What a tragedy! I guess there will be no cake from the bruja today. And it is all over your hair and clothes. It seems you may need to leave. I do not care what Mama says. You are not welcome here, bruja. Stay away from my brother!" Elena is very mad, huh?

I just smile at them. "You reap what you sow, ladies. It will be fun being enemies with you. Now move the fuck out of the way so I can clean up the mess some childish little bitches made. Where are the mature and intelligent people in this family?" I say this as I look around the kitchen and only Portia and Elena are in here.

After I said that, I ignored them and their outraged expressions. They played their card. There is nothing else they can do unless they want to fight and I will whoop some ass today. If they are feeling froggy, they need to jump.

I get the broom and sweep up the mess, and then I get the mop and clean the floor. I wipe the counters and I wash my hands. When I am finished, I go out back to shake the rest of the cake from my clothes as best as I can.

 **Ranger POV**

Babe is still not back and Portia and Elena told Mama they will do the dishes. I am about to go looking for her when she comes into the dining room wearing most of the cake. It is smeared, but I can tell it was in her hair too. She smiles and turns to Mama.

"Ana, there was a mishap with the cake I brought. I did mop up the mess, though so do not worry. Carlos, I will be right back. Emilio, please walk me to the car." She whispers something to Woki who had looked close to tears and he cheered up and kissed her cheek and whispered to her making her laugh.

Emilio gets up and follows Babe out of the house. Portia and Elena come back in with the rest of the desserts and smile.

"Where did your novia go, Ricky? It is a shame what happened. It was an unfortunate accident. It is a good thing that we have other desserts and do not need hers. I hope nothing else happens to her the next time you bring her here." I glare at Elena.

"Elena how old are you pulling juvenile acts such as this? Do you want me to pull my financial support from your education?" She gasped. She was trying to get her master's degree.

"You wouldn't?!" I just look at her bored.

"I would. I don't need you, you need me. I have been good to the family, but if the family is going to give me their backsides to kiss and try to ruin my happiness, why should I help you? You do not have to like Stephanie, but you did not have to go out of your way to give her a hard time." She gives me a pouting look. I do not fall for it.

"I love her and you cannot make her go away. She is mine and you know I protect what is mine. It is only out of respect for Mama that she did not kick your ass. She can beat Lester on the mats and she really likes kickboxing. I am not kidding, Elena. I will wash my hands of the both of you. Just keep acting like a spoiled little perra and see what happens." I glare at her for a few more seconds.

"Mama, do not expect me to come here if this is how they act. Babe works and she baked that cake especially for Woki and your grown daughters threw it at her. How does that endear our family to my novia?"

I stand up to go and find Babe, but she comes inside wearing a long sleeved black tee shirt that says "I'm a Bad B%^$!" in bright blue cursive writing and a stonewashed dark grey denim skirt that comes to her knees with black boots that came above her knees and had high heels. She had her belt on that said "Rangeman". Oh, Babe, hell yes. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun and she had a smile on her face and a covered plate in her hands.

"Joaquin, here is a piece of lemon cake for you. Your daddy had placed the rest of the cake into the car for you to take home and share with your sisters. Do you promise to share with them?" He hugs her.

"Si, Estefania, gracias! You made more than one! You are so cool!" I smile. Yes, she is very cool. She sat down next to me and I kissed her cheek.

"You changed?" She smiled.

"Yes, Carlos. I put the clothes into the plastic bag I brought with me. I was prepared for something to happen during dinner. I will wash my hair later. I sprayed it and brushed it out as best as I could. I am glad you got tinted windows in my car." I smile at her preparedness.

"Emilio was so surprised about the second cake. He asked why they were hazing me and I said who knows. He said he got one speech from the guys and as long as he treated Celia and the kids right, he was friendly with all of you." I sigh.

"I think that men and women are different, Babe. Here, taste this tres leche cake. It is one of my favorites. Hint hint." She laughs.

"Wow, the cake Nazi is trying to get a cake?" I grin at her.

"You know, Ricky, cake is not free. What will you give me?" I give her a look and she smacks me.

"Well what do you want, Babe?" She just eats her cake and hums. I know I will regret this.

"I will participate in one of your schemes, but nothing too wild. I will remain clothed and no more numbers on papers, Estefania." She giggles and picks up the puppy.

"Trust me, Carlos." I do, but still. Elena and Portia avoided us the rest of the time we were there and we left after another hour. Mama tried to apologize, but Babe was still a little reserved with her. Oh well. I am just glad I did not have to break up a chick fight. What a fucking day.


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Ranger POV**

Babe refused to talk about what happened at my parent's house and she went to walk Max again before bed, and she wanted to sleep in her apartment tonight. I don't know how to feel about my sister's actions. I am embarrassed, angry, and offended, but I am also afraid for them. I know Babe will get them back. She returns and makes a few calls and talks very quietly. I have decided that there is nothing I can do but wait. When she comes to bed from the shower, I hold her and finally relax.

"I love you, Stephanie." She sighs.

"I love you, too, Carlos." I kiss her neck.

She feels so good in my arms. I run my fingers through her hair and she purrs. I pull her closer and tangle our legs together. I ease into her slowly from behind and she grinds against me and moans.

"Yes, baby. I feel so good with you inside me. Stay there Carlos. Don't take it out. Mmmm baby. Just a little harder, Carlos please?" She moans long and loud and cums shivering on me.

"Babe?" She kisses my hands.

"Yes Carlos?"

"Promise we will always be like this." She grinds against me and clenches on me. She smiles at me.

"Yes, Carlos. I will always love you. Now Ricky, give it to me. Let me have it." She tightens even more and I climax hard.

"Babe, that felt so good." She moans, then she gets up to shower and I follow her.

"Mmmm. Always, Ricky."

Back in bed, I kiss her and we move into our sleep positions.

"I love you for you Carlos. I love all of you. I promise I will never stop." I hold her tightly to me.

"I adore you, Steph." I kiss her shoulder and we sleep.

In the morning, I am waiting for Babe after our workout. She said she wanted to explain what I would be doing today and maybe tomorrow. She comes out of her bedroom wearing a red power suit, but the feminine version. Her skirt is mid-thigh length flairs when she walks and there is some kind of pattern around the bottom of the jacket that barely sweeps her waist.

She is wearing thigh high shimmery skin toned stockings with incredibly high red heels and her hair is in that librarian bun I love. I really only love it because it makes me want to take it down and bury my fingers in it. She looks amazing.

 **Stephanie POV**

"Carlos, thanks for waiting. Okay, so while I am going to business meetings, you will meet with the five golden ticket winners and give them a free security walk through. Your silver suit looks amazing and I love that black and grey checked vest. Here are the files I created for the winners. Tank is with you. Please be careful and thank you for doing this."

I finished my whole speech and he did not interrupt me once. "Carlos?" I snap my fingers at him.

"Babe, you look so beautiful today. Is that lip gloss?" I smile at him.

"Carlos, did you hear anything I said to you?" He shakes his head and reaches for me. I step back out of his reach. If he grabs me, we will not make it out of here.

"I made notes for you and I told Tank the deal. Let's go to the morning meeting, Carlos." He moans and kisses my hand instead.

"You are playing with fire, Babe." I look over my shoulder at him.

"You can burn me later, Batman." I whistle for Max and we leave.

The morning meeting goes smoothly and I leave with Wyatt. Our first meeting is with Mr. Kim at the Quick Klean dry cleaners. We make a scene of greeting him and handing him a cake I baked. We stand in front of the building as I point out that he should get bullet proof glass. He nods and we go inside.

"Stephanie, I am ready to sign the contract if you are ready to sign my contract." I nod at Mr. Kim. Ella told me she had been negotiating with him to do the dry cleaning for Rangeman. We shake hands and he walks us out.

"So, you want people to see you around here?" I turn to Wyatt as he is the one driving.

"Yup. Don't worry. We are doing fine."

Our next stop is Mo' Money Check Cashing to talk to the owner, Jayson Wilkes. He is a young black guy and he is bouncing on his toes with excitement.

He rushes up to me and hugs me. Wyatt has to pull him off me.

"Hello, Mr. Wilkes. I am—" He interrupts me.

"Girl, Lula told me all about the cool White Chick that is the bomb. Of course I am gonna roll with y'all. Call me Jay Jay, everyone else does. Now, can I get a gat like yours, White Girl?" I laugh and shove his shoulder.

"No, we cannot give you guns, Jay Jay. Calm down. Do you want this cake?" His eyes get big and he looks around, and then he pulls us into the building and motions to his office.

"Girl, you almost got me mobbed. Keysha and Alize work here and they are some greedy heifers." I smile and we haggle over the contract.

Jay Jay wants police glass like in an interrogation room and I told him we do not have that. He settles for cameras, security chains for his employees and key fobs. He asked could he have a Range guy twenty four seven and I said no. He asked for a sign that said Rangeman had his back and I agreed. When it is time for me to leave, he hugs me again outside and promises to share the cake with the girls.

Wyatt laughs at me. "He was quite a character." I nod.

"Yes, Lula recommended him and he is a good guy." Wyatt smiles.

"Where to next, Steph?" I grin. He was going to like this one.

We pulled up outside of Show and Tell, a lingerie store. Yes, I let the girls help me with my list today.

"Steph, maybe you should go in alone." I looked at him.

"What? Why, Mr. Spinelli?" He looks nervous. What is his deal?

"Wyatt, the panties won't attack you. Calm down." He comes inside, but he is almost jittery the whole time.

We spend an hour with Lacey Gillespie and she signs with Rangeman, but requests cute guys to do the installation. I nod and agree with her and Wyatt whisks me out of the building like it was on fire. It was time for lunch and a show.

 **Ranger POV**

"We are here, man. Remember you have to smile, Ric." I look at Tank who is wearing a dark blue suit. I stare at the house and at the file in my hand. Fine.

We walk up to the home of Mrs. Gladys Childs and she opens the door before we can knock. "Oh, my. You are a tall drink of water aren't you?"

She is staring at Tank, not me. Now I am cheered up. He stutters at her and she invites us inside where we are seated and handed corn muffins she just baked. Tank eats his and moans, so I eat mine as well.

"Listen, boys, I want the works. This home is my showpiece and I need to feel safe, plus me and the girls meet up here to play pitty pat and watch movies and such. Do you have attack dogs?" We shake our heads. She sighs.

"Oh well, tell me where to sign up and can you send me some nice boys to do the work on a Wednesday?" She winks at Tank and he shudders.

We handle her contract which includes a free key fob and three free months of monitoring services and she gives us more muffins to take with us and promises to tell all of her friends. In the car, Tank is staring at the bag.

"Tank, do not eat another muffin. We have to meet the mayor." He smiles and puts the bag on his side of the console. Babe has totally corrupted my men.

We arrive at City Hall and go to the mayor's office. He greets us loudly. "Carlos, Pierre! I am so glad I got one of those golden tickets! Come into my office and have some coffee and we can talk." People whisper as we follow him inside.

The door closes and he gives us coffee. "Stephie told me you want to do some volunteer work with the community center. That is great. Are you treating my goddaughter right, son?" He stares at me hard.

"Yes sir. I treat her like a queen when she lets me." He laughs.

"Good answer, now here are the contact sheets for the directors of the community center. You or whoever should call them and they will put you on the schedule. How was Gladys? Did she grope you?" He smiles at us and Tank looks uncomfortable.

"That woman's muffins are almost worth it though. Now we have the Halloween fundraiser for the Salvation Army and we want you to secure it. Your guys can come dressed in costumes. Here is the contract for that event and the mock ups of another for a Christmas Ball they want to have as well." We look over the contracts and make arrangements. Tank looks at his watch and clears his throat.

"Sir, we have a lunch meeting, so we have to cut this meeting short. I apologize for the rush, but we are scheduled in a lot of places today." We stand and shake hands and leave.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I return to work today and I am not thrilled that I am on desk duty, but I feel okay. My phone did not ring at all last night and I got a good night's sleep for a change.

There was a steady stream of Manoso's goons through the department bringing in the FTAs. Many of them were not even handcuffed and some were smiling. What was the world coming to? They probably paid them off or something. There is no way those thugs are any good at their job.

I made a good dent in my paperwork and forms and when it was lunch time, I looked around to see who would want to grab a bite or maybe a couple of hot dogs at Louie's, but it was like a ghost town in here. I looked at the clock and it was 1:30pm. No wonder I am so hungry. I stopped at the desk sergeant to find out where everyone went.

"Hey Womack, where the hell is everybody?" He looks up at me in shock.

"Morelli, didn't you get the invite? Manoso sent us all invitations to have lunch at Wong's today, his treat. He invited the fire fighters, too and they will bring back food for those of us that could not go. He said he felt badly that his takedown turned out so badly. He is a stand up guy."

I stand there torn. I am pissed that Manoso is brainwashing the guys, but I am happy to get a free lunch out of the deal. I decide to just stay quiet and go and get my dry cleaning. When I come back, my food will be here.

At Quick Klean, Mr. Kim is on the phone and gestures for my ticket and I hand it to him. I cannot help but hear his conversation.

"I am telling you, Lin, she was beautiful! She is so smart and she has the best ideas. You call them and ask for Stephanie Plum. She will come to see you and tell you the best security plan for your steak shop. No, you cannot introduce her to your son. She is spoken for. She had the nicest little bracelet. Okay. See you later." He hangs up and I get my dry cleaning.

"Mr. Kim, did you say you saw Stephanie Plum?" He grins and nods.

"Oh yes. She is so beautiful and she is so smart and friendly. She was here today. I am getting Rangeman to secure my business." He gives me my receipt and I leave in a daze. She was here and I missed it. The cleaners is two blocks from the police station. Dammit!

Back at the station, there is a large container on my desk with a note thanking the TPD for their support signed by Manoso. I growl and eat my lunch which is delicious. I still hate him.

Eddie walks up to me. "Hey, Joe. Lunch was nice today with the guys from Rangeman. They sure were spiffy today. Lester told me that they wear suits on Mondays now." They had looked like models walking in and out of here today. I just nod at Eddie and continue to eat.

"Steph looked amazing in her suit. The best thing was her smile, man. She just smiled and talked with all of us that went. She seems to have found the perfect job for her. She left early because she had more appointments, but it was good to see her." He walks away. I thought Manoso was hiding her in that building, but it seems I was wrong.

My phone rings and it is my mother. Of course it is my mother. "Hey, Ma."

"Joey, I was at the nail salon and guess who came in with this very handsome gentleman to speak with Lee Lee?" I give up.

"It was Stephanie Plum and she looked very professional. That suit was so the thing and her shoes. I don't know how she could walk in those shoes, but anyway. You seemed worried about her and you kept bringing her up." I bring her up because I want her.

"I am calling to let you know that she is fine. I asked her who did her hair and she said she did it herself! Wow, Joey. She helped Lee Lee and they are getting Rangeman security. Anyhow, don't forget to take your antibiotics and I will bring over dinner." She hangs up. Everyone has seen Cupcake today but me!

 **Stephanie POV**

I think today was a success. After a shower, I put on a tee shirt and denim miniskirt and my blue fuzzy slippers and I go to the fifth floor to finish my paperwork. I know it is past 5pm, but I needed to get things moving on these sales. I was sitting with my legs folded on the sofa and using my laptop, when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I hear the person take a deep breath.

"Estefania this is Isa. I got your number from Abuela. She made me swear that I was not going to be mean to you. I wanted to know if you would go to a Zumba class with me tomorrow. I am really interested in being friends with you, but between Mama and my sisters, and even Woki, I have not had a chance to talk to you." I thought about it and maybe she is right.

"I will think about it, Isa. I am not feeling very friendly to Carlos' sisters right now." She sighs.

"Look, I am the youngest, but Portia and Lena are the closest in age to Ricky. I think they are jealous of you. They want to be his sounding board and now that he has you, he won't need them. He said as much yesterday." I sigh inwardly.

"Isa, he said that because they threw a cake at me and he pays for their education. I am guessing that he pays for yours as well."

"Si, he is very generous to us. We are a close family. Ricky can be a little reserved at times, but he says it is to protect us. If you decide to come, the name of the place is Rave and the class is at noon for an hour. See you, Estefania." She hangs up and I stare at the phone.

 **Ranger POV**

I leave her apartment after realizing she was not in there. I decide to check in the control room.

"Where is Babe?" Cal points to her office and I go inside to find her staring at the phone. I pick her up and sit her in my lap.

"Do you have much more work to finish, Babe?" She smiles and kisses me. I love kissing her and feeling her body mold to mine. I play with her hair as she pulls away.

"Hey you. Today was a success. People are talking about how polite, smart and handsome you are and the cops love you guys. I have just one more file, Carlos." I kiss her neck as she tries to ignore me and type on her laptop. After ten minutes, she sighs and closes her programs.

"I am finished, Carlos. Listen, your sister called me." What?! When would they leave Babe alone?

"Babe, how did they get your number?" She smiles.

"Isa got my number from Abuela Rosa. She invited me to Zumba class tomorrow." I smile.

"Oh, well, Isa is the baby and she is the nicest, Babe." She sighs and kisses me again. I love this tiny skirt she is wearing.

"Carlos, I told her I would think about it and that is the best I can do right now." I smile and stand with her in my arms.

"Come on, love. Let's go upstairs." She hugs me and jumps to her feet and pulls me out of her office. What was that look on her face? I wonder what Babe has planned for Portia and Elena. After seeing her mess with Morelli, I almost feel sorry for them. Now I remember that she said I could burn her. It is time.


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could do this, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

Today was going to be a good day. I had lunch plans with my dad and I was once again going to the Burg. There would be plenty of witnesses. My thoughts were interrupted by kisses being feathered along my jaw to that spot behind my ear. My arms naturally went around Carlos' neck and we made out for four or five minutes, which is Max's limit because he barked.

"The puppy is correct, Babe. I have to get going. We have installs today and I have to do the walk through for Mr. Casely. He insisted and I could hear him winking over the phone, so that means he has referrals. Have a good day. Lester is doing the morning meeting. Please take Wyatt with you." I smiled at him. He looked good in a blue suit, too. It was a faded blue with a dark blue shirt that had light blue strips. I wanted him again.

"Babe?" I snapped out of it. "Yes, Carlos?" He pulled me close again.

"Querida, stop looking at me like that. I said I will take you to dinner tonight. We can go to Rossini's if you want." I know he is teasing me.

"No, not there yet. Let's go to Bella Noche, it is Italian and it is not in the Burg." He smiles and agrees, and then I get to watch him leave. Hmmm, he is so sexy.

"Let's go, Max" He barks and follows me out of the apartment.

I look hot in my grey suit. My skirt is a wrap skirt that comes to just above my knees and I have a white button down Rangeman stretchy dress shirt, white stockings and black knee boots with heels. My hair was up in my favorite loose bun. I liked it because it was quick and it looked like it took me forever to do. Plus, the style was easy for Carlos to take down. I loved how I looked in the mirror. Enough of being vain. Not really. I just loved every day I was not a sellout. Whew!

Lester did the morning meeting by the book. I think he is being recorded. We did have muffins by Ella and coffee during the meeting, so that was good. On my way back to my office, my phone rang and it was Woki.

"Hello, Joaquin." He giggles, but then he starts talking really breathy. Oh. He is whispering.

"Hola, Estefania. I am being a secret agent. Is this really you?"

"Si, Joaquin and our new password is Hakuna Matata."

"Good. I have a plan for you." He is adorable.

"Go ahead and tell me the plan." He continues his version of whispering.

"So why don't you go to lunch with Tia Portia and Tia Lena today at Fiore? Then you could make friends. Cora says that her mami is going there today. You can go there and smile at them. You have a nice smile, Estefania." He is so adorable and the kids are a great source of information.

"Woki, sweetie. I am having lunch with my daddy today, so I cannot go, but thank you for calling me. Are you being a good boy?"

He babbles at me about his sisters not liking the frogs he gave them as presents and aren't girls weird. I told him that they night like a cookie better than a frog, but that he was cool for giving them a present. I was back in my office and going through paperwork while he told me stories about playing superhero. I had to stop him right there.

"Woki, please put your daddy on the phone." The next voice I heard was a bemused sounding Emilio.

"Good morning, Estefania. He insisted on calling you. He told all of his cousins that you are so great and that their mommies would be lucky to be your friend. He thinks you have a gun." I laughed.

"I do have a gun, but that is not the point. Emilio, watch him. He wants to be a superhero, so he might try to do something like I did. I tried to fly and jumped off the roof. I broke my arm and that was lucky." He gasps.

"Thank you. He is smart and he comes up with schemes. He gave the girls frogs so they could kiss them and get princes." I giggled. He was the sweetest.

"Okay. Take care of my Sweetie. Put him back on the phone so I can say goodbye, please." Next, Woki is back.

"Woki, Baby, can you promise me something?" He agrees quickly.

"Please let your daddy watch you do anything with superpowers, okay?"

"You mean when I try to be strong or something?" Lord, what was he planning?

"Yes, Woki, exactly like that. Daddies have to be there. Remember to call the Justice League if you get scared or someone makes you scared and daddy is not there. Promise?" He promises and we hang up.

I love that kid, and because he called me, I can do my plan. Heh heh. I make another two calls. This was going to be good.

"Why are you grinning like Dr. Evil?" I clear all emotion from my face, but my huge grin comes right back.

"Wyatt, please stop calling me names and go through your half of the files. We have lunch with my daddy today and I need you to be my goalie. That means you keep people away from me. I will let you know which ones to let through. If I drink from my glass, then they are cool, if not, then you will flirt with them and get them away from me." He nods and thinks about it.

"What if it is a guy, Steph?" I howl laughing.

"Same rules, Wyatt." He scowls at me.

"I am joking. If it is a guy, they probably won't come up to us with you looking all scary. If they persist, you whisk me away. Easy." He nods and we continue to work. I had a good feeling about today.

 **Ranger POV**

"Mr. Casely, why don't you just tell me who else wants security at their places?" He had been telling me fishing stories for an hour.

"You are not paying attention, boy! I am trying to get you to realize that when you have a good catch, you keep it and do not throw it back." Oh. I missed that because I kind of tuned him out.

"Thank you. I love my Stephanie, sir. I am not throwing her back." He beams a smile at me.

"Now, son, women are hard to deal with sometimes, but you have to be a good guardian of the gates during a fight. Don't let them out the door. If they get out of that door and they are mad at you, when they finally come back, watch out!" I grin. This man is really nice.

"We agreed not to run and to fight fair, sir." He laughs at me for a whole minute.

"Nope. The rules go out the door when you are really fighting, son. If she starts packing, you pack too." What?

"Why?" He looks at me like I am slow.

"So she will know that wherever she is moving to, you are going with her, son. You don't want to sleep alone, right?" Hell no. I loved holding Babe. He continues talking because I shook my head no.

"You will piss her off one day. Just don't give up and keep her there by whatever means you can. Get her to listen to your apology." What?

"What if I am right?" He just shakes his head at me.

"Son, they are always right. Look at it this way, if you apologize, then she has no reason to be upset and with a clear head, she might realize what she did wrong, too. It has worked in the past, but, during a fight, they are always right or the fight will just continue. Trust me. I have the grey hair to prove it." I smile and nod at him.

"Thank you for that advice. You know more about relationships than I do and my father says just give in, but that did not make sense to me." He pats me on the shoulder.

"Now, we move on to the next phase. Sentimental gifts. Do not just flood the poor woman with jewelry that means nothing. Give her a gift to mark an anniversary or because you love her smile or something. Be creative. Unless you have a gold digger, no woman will wear it all at once anyhow. It will collect dust, son. Take her on a trip or something." I nod again.

"Good. Now my friends are all in the other room. Today is our poker game and we play early while our shops are closed until noon. There are five of them and they all like to give out advice, so pay attention. Nice love bites." I reach for my neck.

"She marked you as hers. I like her already. Let's move it on along, son." He ushers me into the back room where a small party is going on. The gentlemen all wave at me and sign up for security.

I learn a lot from them that I never knew. Who knew that when they tell you to get out, they really want you to stay? If they storm out, chase them. I was not going to look at other women. They made me promise using my peripheral vision anyway. I already knew how to do that. They were so funny, but they meant well. I was having a good morning. Wait until Tank heard about this.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I was going to have a good day today. I made it to work with no phone calls from crazy old ladies and my mother was not mad at me. I am still pissed that I missed a chance to see Cupcake yesterday, but I have hope. She won't be able to stay out of the Burg. This is her home. I will show her that I am better than Manoso.

At my desk was a present with a card and a get well balloon. That was nice. It must be from some chick that liked how I handled myself in bed because Ma would have given it to me at home. The guys gather around while I read the card. It says she saw these and thought of me and that she hopes I feel better soon, because no one likes a pain in the ass. Funny.

I open the present and it is a large box of extra small condoms. I just stand there staring at the box in my hands and the guys fall over themselves laughing. I pick up the card and it is just sign LC. Who the hell was that? Whoever this bitch is, she just made my hate list, too.

Dammit, I am getting no respect from the bitches in this town. That is why I need Cupcake. When I get her away from Manoso, people will see I can get a quality chick, and when I make her smile all day from my skills in bed, they will stop all these fucking dick jokes! Cupcake will fall for me. She won't be able to resist me. I was her first after all.

 **Stephanie POV**

Wyatt was standing guard and I was having lunch with Daddy at a window table at the Treasure Chest, the local seafood restaurant that is right in the middle of the Burg. I knew that the gossip would alert Morelli that I was here, but we parked out back and I can be gone in sixty seconds. I told Wyatt that he could sit down and he declined. He said he would take his food to go.

"So, Daddy, how are things going with you?" He opens his mouth to answer and Mitzy Cooper walks up to us. I drink from my glass and Wyatt relaxex.

"Hey there Mr. Plum. Hello Stephanie." I stand up and hug her. We went to grade school, and middle school in the same classes. She was kind of an outcast in high school but she totally blossomed in senior year. She married someone from another school, but she still lives in the Burg.

"Hi, Mitzy. How are you doing?" She talks about her three kids. Damn. Well, it has been eight years since high school. I smile at her pictures and I show her a picture of my dog and she says she wants to get her kids a puppy.

I write down the name of the farm we went to and she asks about my job and compliments me on my bracelet. I told her it meant infinity and she said I had a keeper. I smiled and said he was very good to me. She left to pick up her takeout. I sat back down.

Daddy continues like she had not interrupted him. "Pumpkin, things are alright. Your mother is working at the bookstore now. It has only been a couple of days, but I have my fingers crossed. I told her that maybe we can go to a movie or something this Friday and she giggled at me. That has not happened in years. I can remember—" Nope. I cannot listen to that.

"Daddy, I love you, but please do not tell me about your sex life." He howls laughing.

"Look who is talking, Little Miss Love Bite." I look at Wyatt and he points to his neck and I touch the same spot on my own neck. Oh. I blush.

"I did not notice that, sorry." He smiles.

"So, you really like this one and I don't have to let you borrow Big Blue?" I smile again and shake my head. Wyatt clears his throat and I see Joyce Barndhart coming towards us. I know I have to let her through because I would not wish her on anyone and poor Wyatt should not have to flirt with her.

"Why hello, there, Stephanie Plum. How are you doing today? You actually look halfway decent. I heard you got yourself a new job and a new boyfriend. Is that true?" I smile and stand up.

Joyce has gone with a leopard spandex themed miniskirt today with thigh high brown boots and a leather jacket. Her dyed red hair is teased up to Jersey standards. She has the girls on display in that low-cut top. I must look boring next to her. Anyway.

"Hello, Joyce. It has been a while since I have seen you. You look better from this angle. Yes, I have a new job, a new boyfriend, a new apartment and a new car. I got a life makeover."

She looks me up and down again. "Well, does that mean you are not interested in Joe Morelli? I was going to take him from you if that was the case. I am giving you fair warning." I smile a big smile.

"Joyce, you can have Joe Morelli. I am not interested in him. I had to capture him and so I flirted a little. You know how it is." She looks satisfied and she smiles at me.

"Well, if that is true, then I won't mess with Ranger. You get him and I get Morelli." She must have been out of town lately or something. I nod at her and smile.

I take a card out of my purse. "Here, Joyce. This is a gift card to Rossini's. I was going to mail it to you as a thank you." She looks shocked.

"What?" I sigh.

"Joyce, I did not think so at the time, but you did me a huge favor. I have to get back to my lunch. Have a good day." She walks away and Wyatt exhales loudly.

Daddy laughs. "That was interesting, Pumpkin." I smile.

"Daddy, I mean it, she did me a favor. Can you imagine if I had kids with that idiot?" He grimaces and we continue our lunch in front of many witness. Good. I needed witnesses. After a half hour, we see an unmarked crown vic drive into the lot and I kiss daddy and Wyatt and I disappear. Tough luck again today, Morelli.

 **Joyce POV**

That was interesting. Imagine a woman thanking me for sleeping with her husband. Maybe she was happy to be rid of him. He was pretty good given the right position, but anyway.

I am on a mission, so I walk into the police station and ask for Detective Morelli. The desk guy laughs and asks am I sure. I nod and smile and he points me towards Joe's desk. I strut up to his desk and sit on it giving him a view of my thighs and of my breasts. I know how to work it.

"Hey there, Joe." He looks surprised to see me and he hides a large box of condoms. So he is a naughty boy.

"Hello, Joyce. Where have you been?" I can do small talk. I notice he is really looking at my breasts, so I take a deep breath.

"I have been visiting my cousin in New York. So, do you want to go to dinner? I got a gift card to Rossini's. How about I pay for dinner and you handle dessert, Joe?" He smiles bigger and touches my thigh on the sly. We are at his work.

"Sure thing, Joyce. I will meet you there tonight at 7pm. Is that good?" Wow, that was easy.

"It sounds great, Joe. I heard you got shot in the line of duty. We can work around that injury of yours. I will take care of you." He winks at me. I can hear people laughing and I turn around, but they are all working. Joe is still running his fingers up and down my legs and it is getting me a little hot so I cross my legs.

"Maybe I should go, now. I will see you later." He nods and stands up as well.

"Joyce, did you win the gift card or something?" Nope.

"No, Stephanie Plum gave it to me. She said it was to thank me. I just saw her over at the Treasure Chest having lunch with her dad. She looked professional. I guess the rumors about her new job are true. We didn't even argue. Maybe she didn't want to ruin her skirt. Those boots were cute, too." He is not listening to me. He is starting to close down his computer.

"Let me walk you out, Joyce." Oh, that is sweet!

We walk out together and I kiss him on the cheek and he drives away like he just got an emergency call. Whatever. I had a date to prepare for. I was getting lucky tonight. All of the girls had been talking about Joe and how they had dates with him, but no second dates. They must be bad in bed. That was not a problem for me. Joyce Barndhart always gets her man.

 **Ranger POV**

I was back in the office and going over some files when the phone rang and it was Portia. I sighed and answered the phone against my better judgement.

"Hello?"

"Ricky, hello. How are you today?" Why does she sound scared?

"Portia, are you alright? Do you need help?" She laughs but it sounds forced.

"No, Wiggle Worm, I am okay." Why is that our password?

"So, what is up, Portia? Are you calling to tell me not to date Stephanie? I will not end our relationship." She laughs that laugh again.

"No, no I am just calling because I think I might have been too hasty to hate her. I think I want to give her a chance. Can you suggest a nice gift I can give her?" What was going on?

"Portia, I will not help you to hurt her, either. Just leave her alone. She is not always nice like you saw with Woki. She gets revenge. Do not make her your enemy." She gasps and coughs.

"No, I am being sincere, Ricky." I sigh. What is wrong with her?

"Okay, she likes Sak's. Get her a gift card for there."

"Thank you, Ricky! I will do that at once. Goodbye." She hangs up. I stare at the phone and it rings in my hand.

"Hola, Ricky." It is Elena and she sounds like she is scared, too.

"Lena, do you need help?" She laughs that same laugh.

"No, Pretty Ricky, I am alright." We need new passwords.

"So, I want to make up with your novia. She is not ugly like I said before."

"You called her ugly?" She was ridiculous. Babe is beautiful.

"Oh, maybe I just thought that. Don't mention that to her. So, do you think she will like another puppy or something?" What is the deal with these two?

"No. She is just getting used to Max. Why do you want to give her a present, Lena?" She takes a deep breath.

"Ricky, I am just thinking like you told us. We are family and I want you to be happy." I growl.

"Are you doing this because I threatened to stop your college fund?"

"No! I mean that would be bad, but I want to make up with Estefania. Maybe I was wrong about her." She sounds like she is reading a ransom note.

"She likes Friendly's. Get her a gift card for there."

"Okay! I will do that. Goodbye, Ricky!" She hangs up and I am confused. There is a knock on the door and Lester comes in and sits in my visitor's chair.

He has a huge smile and I wonder if he duct-taped someone's ass cheeks together or did that mentos and soda experiment again. He was such a big kid.

"What is it and how much will it cost me, Lester?" He just smiles bigger.

"Cuz, I did not do anything. Are you in a good mood?" Yes, I am.

"Yes, Lester." He comes around and types in his email address and a video shows up.

I watch as my sisters eat lunch like they do every week, but then they go outside and a large man in a trench coat flashes them and he is covered in grease. He shakes his body and gyrates at them and asks if they want to get greasy with him. They step back and turn away from him. When they do, they are pelted with cake mix, eggs, mayonnaise, ketchup, bread crumbs, and so many things, I cannot catch them all. They had been trying to get away from the guy, but he kept throwing things.

They finally just crouch on the ground with their arms over their heads and then the greasy guy throws grease or something at them and leaves them with a note. They stand up and read the note out loud. "Abracadabra, bitches". They look around scared. My sisters looked a mess. The video stops and Lester lets out his laughter. Wow. I join in on the laughter. She got them good and now they are frightened. Good.

She got her revenge and she had an alibi. I did not bring it up with her, but I am so proud of her. Later, in bed I make love to Babe like she was the most precious thing in the world to me. She really is, and I never want to be on her shit list.


	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

I slowly bend over ignoring the groans and giggles behind me and pull my arm forward, taking my turn. I watch the ball strike the pins, knocking eight of them over and I clap my hands.

"You did very good, Estefania!" Woki decided he wanted to go bowling. Carlos decided that we needed guards and that he would be one of them. I insisted that we wear jeans and long sleeved tee shirts. Mine says "I like it like that".

Emilio had called to tell me that tonight was his daughters' ballet recital and that he would love me forever if I took Woki because he had seen him packing water balloons into his backpack and that he wanted to head off disaster.

I laughed and convinced Carlos that we should get Woki. I called Joaquin and asked him on a date and gave him options. Since he was not old enough to shoot a gun, he picked bowling. When I told Emilio, he said that would be cool. Before we hung up, he asked if I liked Celia or was she next. I howled laughing and told him that Celia has been nothing but pleasant to me.

On my second turn I get the spare and more applause. I hug Joaquin and let him take his turn. We have bumpers on our lane so there are no gutter balls. We watch as his bright blue bowling ball goes down the lane and he gets a strike.

Carlos sighs as we hug and jump up and down. Tank and Jenna are at the next lane all lovey dovey. It's cute. I sit back down next to Carlos while Wyatt takes his turn.

"Babe." This time it means the same as it has meant all night. 'Your jeans are too tight and ripped and low-rise and men are looking at your ass.' I just smile at him and squeeze his hand. He must be kidding. Women have been literally throwing themselves at his feet. Three of them have 'fallen' when it was his turn.

His tee shirt says, 'My chick's bad'. I had kissed the life out of him when I saw it. He has not mentioned what happened to his sisters, but when I received gift cards with apologies attached, he had grinned at me. Yeah. Lester showed him the video. That was cool. Oh! I almost missed when he took his turn. Mmmm, Carlos is dreamy.

"Estefania, you are so pretty." I love this kid. I wonder what he wants.

"Thank you, Joaquin. I am so glad you could come to bowling with us." He smiles and gives me the puss n boots look. This little boy is powerful.

"So, will we have ice cream and the loser pays?" He bounces in his seat. How could I say no? It was almost 7pm and I know we agreed to have him home by 9pm. This was the last turn anyway. I checked the scoreboard. I was the loser. Did he know that?

"Sure, Sweetie. That means I will pay. You won!" He launches himself at me and kisses both my cheeks. Wyatt laughs at Carlos' face.

By the time we drop Woki at home, he is sleepy. I carry him to the door with Carlos and Wyatt shadowing me. They are ridiculous. Celia answers the door and sucks her teeth at Woki being cuddled in my arms.

"You cannot have my son and Reina and Mercedes are getting jealous. I told them that they are seven and eight and that they had school and you were not against little girls." I shake my head at her. She nods.

"Good. It is settled, you will have a tea party with them Saturday afternoon." I smile and nod.

"Celia, have Emilio to bring all three kids to the building Saturday for lunch, a tea party and a movie. You can pick them up at around 5pm." She takes Woki and hands him to Carlos so she can hug me.

"I was totally bluffing, but thank you. The girls do want to hang with you. Woki talks about you all the time." I laugh at her.

"Just tell them to stop teasing my little boyfriend here. I will see you later, Celia. Bye, Woki. See you Saturday." He kisses my cheek again and goes to his mother.

"Babe." I had been waiting for the question. He waited all the way until we got to my apartment. I kissed him and linked my arms around his neck.

"Carlos, Lester and the guys have box seats to the Rangers' game. I said the afternoon so that we can have the morning together. I will bake the mini cakes tomorrow after my hair appointment." He kisses my neck.

"Si, Estefania, but tomorrow is Thursday." I smile at him.

"Yes, and I agreed to have lunch with Gram and my mother at Red Lobster. I will need the massage at Sak's I am sure. Besides, Friday is my birthday and Hector told me to switch my appointment so I don't let the guys down because they are planning a party." He sighs.

"It was a surprise, Babe." I kiss his lips gently.

"Carlos, there are no surprises in this building. Ella tried to tell me that Sak's was booked Friday and Lester said he needed my advice and could we take some time on Friday to talk, just the two of us. I think it is sweet that you guys want to give me a party. I love you for it, now are you having food catered?" He hugs me close and Max whines. I pull away and pick up Max and he cuddles with us.

"Yes, Babe. We are having it on the roof." I bounce in his lap.

"I love you! That sounds so great, Carlos, really." He kisses me again, but pulls away.

"Who are you taking to lunch with you, Babe?" I smile.

"I am taking me, Carlos." He gives me the raised eyebrow.

"Oh calm down. I asked the guys and Woody wants to come. He likes seafood so he traded with Wyatt. I know you and I know you would worry, so Brett is coming also. See?" He hugs me again.

"Let's get ready for bed and you can console me because a four year old beat me, Babe." I giggle.

"You should have paid attention to the game instead of my body, Carlos." He comes back out of the bathroom in pajama pants and a blue tee shirt. I get up to take my turn. I come out in a nightshirt that has the bat signal on it. Carlos tackles me to the bed after moving Max and we play for a while. This time I let him win.

 **Ranger POV**

I was not going to be worried about Babe having lunch with her mother. She has backup, so she will be fine. There is a knock on my door and I told them to come inside. Hal comes in with a box of red roses and a teddy bear and drops it on my desk so it makes a loud noise. What the hell?

"Boss, these flowers and this bear came for you." I reach into the box and take out the card. It reads 'Thinking of you, Ricardo. I will see you again soon.' The note is signed 'Kisses, J.' That bitch! I look at Hal and he is glaring at me a little. Dammit! They cannot really think I like this woman! I look at him.

"Hal, this woman is delusional. I do not like her and the last time she was here, I made her leave. Please destroy these flowers and I will send an email that all deliveries are to be catalogued, but that I do not want them. Jeanne Ellen is not allowed on the premises." He lets out a breath he was holding.

"That is a relief. The guys were going to call you to the mats, sir." I smile and nod at him.

"Good." He leaves and Tank comes in.

"Rangeman, do I need to whoop your ass?" He is grinning.

"No, Tank, but you cannot beat me anyway. Listen, fix security so that the doors need us to open them and tell the guys to watch for tails. I cannot believe this woman. Babe said if she saw her, she would kick her ass. I am not even going to stop her." Tank just shakes his head.

"Are you sure you did not flirt with her ever, man?" I just glare at him.

Our staring competition is interrupted when Zip runs into the office. "Um, Boss?" He is in SWAT gear. Dammit, what now?

 **Stephanie POV**

"So you know we are being followed right?" I look at Woody and smile.

"Yup, but there is nothing we can do right now. The fact that I am having lunch with my mother and grandmother is all over the Burg. Expect Morelli to approach us at some point. I am going so I can hear the scoop on their date from Gram. You guys should be sure to sit with us." He sighs and smiles.

I approach the table and my grandmother makes a big fuss. "Hey Stephie! You look very pretty today!" I am wearing a grey suit with a white and grey pinstriped blouse and red heels to match my red lipstick and my red purse. I have my gun on my thigh holster and my hair is in my librarian bun. The guys nod at my mother and she grimaces as I sit down.

"Thank you, Gram. So, how have things been at the apartment?" She grins and passes me the biscuits.

"Did you know that Mrs. Brestler used to be a belly dancer?" I hear Woody choke. I turn and pat his back.

"No, Gram, I did not know that." She smiles and leans in closer.

"Well we had a limbo competition and she won. She was not hurting for dates after that. So I am having a shall we say personal products party on Saturday afternoon. You should come. Not that I think you need it, but everyone likes a little spice from time to time. Maybe you can tell me just how spicy things are with you, Stephie." That is all my mother can take.

"Mother!" I hand Gram a dollar and she laughs.

"So, Stephanie. You are looking well. Why do you have bodyguards? I thought you said your job was not dangerous." That was tame for her.

"Hello to you, too, Ma. The guys are just overprotective. They also really like the biscuits here and if they do not stop putting them into bags, I will tell." Brett and Woody both look abashed.

"Come on, Steph! I promised to bring some back for the guys." I kiss Brett's cheek.

"I am joking. Brett, just smile and ask the waitress for a few baskets of bread before we leave. You do not have to be sneaky. Get enough so that everyone can get one. They must have those insulated bags." He relaxes.

"That is a good idea, thanks." I smile and we stop talking to place our order. By the time the waitress leaves, she is besotted with Brett.

"I said smile, not turn her brains to mush, Brett." He looks at me all smug.

"I have a date, Steph. She said she liked my smile and I could not just let that go." I just grin at her.

"So, I know you want to know what happened at Rossini's, Girlie." I sit up straight and pay attention.

"Yes, Gram, tell me!" She had blocked Connie and Lula from telling me. She sits back and sips her iced tea.

"I want to know what number was on that paper that day in Givenchy's" I rear back. She wouldn't!

I also look around and note that it has gotten quieter. "Gram, not here!" She just smiles at me.

"But you will tell your old granny, right? I am old. I gotta get my kicks in, you know." I just give her a thumbs down.

"Nope, do not play the old card with me, Gram. I will tell you later, but you cannot tell anyone." She pouts.

"Fine, so Joyce was wearing this bright red halter dress with the girls on display and really high black heels. Her date was in a sweater and dress slacks. Big whoop." She loves dragging this out.

"They were eating and you could see that she was all over him until around dessert, when she looked shocked and she stood up and showed everyone the pair of tube socks he had stuffed down his pants." Brett laughs loudly and people turn and look at us.

"She told him off but good. She said she did not hide the fact that her breasts were implants, but she would never stuff her bra. She told him that if he was that worried about his size, then he should get a pump or something." Woody's shoulders are shaking. Gram continues her story.

"He tried to shove her back into her seat and kiss her to make her shut up and he accidentally untied the top of her dress and she was not wearing a bra!" Oh this was so good!

She slapped him, grabbed her purse and left him with the bill, and then she turned around and said at least he could have used clean socks and threw them on the floor. She was right. The socks were dirty. Poor Little Joe." I wait until she is finished and I howl laughing. I look and notice that even my mother is giggling a little bit. Whew.

Our food is served and we have more small talk. Brett is flirting, so I blame him for what happened next. Woody stood up and blocked me, but it was not enough. Dammit.

"Hello there, Cupcake." I look at him in disgust. He is carrying flowers. Ew.

"Hello, Little Joe. I heard about what happened and I bought these for you." Gram pulls a six pack of tube socks out of her bag and hands them to Morelli who has no choice but to take them. Woody snorts.

"Hello, Mrs. Mazur. Thank you for thinking of me." He says this through clenched teeth.

"Cupcake, will you go to dinner with me tomorrow?" Both the guys growl at this. My mother chimes in.

"Really, Joseph! Tomorrow is a special day. I just know that Stephanie's young man has plans and that he would object anyway. Aren't you dating Joyce Barndhart anyway?" Wow. I would like to frame this moment. My mother stuck up for me a little bit. I also noticed that her iced tea was non-alcoholic.

Joe does not give up. "Come on, Cupcake. Surely you know that I am the better man for you. Let me take you out." I saw that Brett had paid the bill, so I stood up.

"No. Thanks for lunch, Gram and Mom. I have to get back to work now." I follow the guys outside and Morelli follows us.

As I walk towards the car, I get a hinky feeling and stop. This is followed by a call from the control room confirming my feeling. I sighed. "Brett and Woody, do not get into the car or press the unlock button. Please back up with me. We all back away from the car which we parked away from the other cars. Good.

"Morelli, go away. I do not want you and I am not interested in dating you. Leave me alone and I will not press charges on you for stalking." He reaches for my arm and I take him and throw him off of me and he goes flying and slams into the ground. Wow. At that moment, my car explodes. What. The. Fuck?

The guys scramble into action and call the office and the fire department. People pour out of the restaurant to see what the commotion is about and I scan the parking lot. I know that criminals like to stay and see their handiwork. I spot her in a car on the other side of the lot and I open my bag and put on my sneakers and take off my jacket. This bitch was going down.

I handed my bag to Gram as I passed her and I ran to the car and banged on the door until she opened the door and got out. As soon as she got out I punched her in the face and followed that with knocking her to the ground. I have her pinned and I lean in close to her.

"That car was a gift, you bitch!" She growls and tries to push me off of her, but I hold her like that with one hand and punch her again. I know she is armed, so I take two guns off of her while we roll around on the ground.

I kick her and she screams, "He should not want you!" I dodge her kick by dropping to the ground and I sweep her feet like the Karate kid. While she is down, I use my hair scrunchy on her hands and she is still kicking at me. We are surrounded by cops anyway. I motion to them to take her.

"You are stupid. The car was wired for bomb detection and there is security feed to this parking lot. Have fun in jail, bitch!" I punch her one more time and I feel the tingle. I get up and look at my skirt. I will not be wearing it to any more meetings. Dammit!

I am pulled into strong arms while the police take Jeanne Ellen away. "Babe, that was so hot! Thank you for defending my virtue. You know she sent me fucking roses and a teddy bear today?" I shake my head no. He kisses me gently.

"Let me see those hands, Querida." He looks at my hands. My manicure is toast and I have scrapes on my knuckles. He kisses my hands and hugs me again.

"Don't worry about the car, Babe. I have a backup at Al's." I shove him playfully. A throat clears.

We turn and see Morelli standing there. "What, Morelli?" He stands up straight.

"We will need you to come to the station and answer some questions, Cupcake." Carlos growls.

"Listen, Detective Morelli. I am not a Cupcake. I have a name and even if this was your case, it is unprofessional of you to call a witness a pet name. You are a pig to keep bringing up that incident." I look at him with loathing. He backs up a step.

"Every time you call me that name, I think of that day and it makes me hate you for what happened. Go away. I will coordinate with my attorney and the officers assigned to this incident to make my statement." He glares at me, but I am not finished with him.

"I hope you paid attention to the beat down I just gave that bitch. Please continue to stalk me if you are looking for your own beat down. I have evidence that you are stalking me. You will lose your job and go to jail. Stay the fuck away from me, Asshole!" I pull Carlos away before he can punch Morelli in the face. As I walk up to Gram to get my purse, my mother speaks.

"That was some serious fighting you did, Stephanie. Did you learn that at work?" I smile at her. She is trying. It also helps that she got the scoop on the Burg.

"Yeah, Ma. The guys are good trainers. I need to go and change and see about these scrapes on my knees and my hands. I will see you guys." They hug me and Carlos escorts me to his car. Tank drives and we sit in the back. As I lean against his chest, I feel that his heartbeat is still fast. I pull him into a kiss.

"I am alright, Carlos. You made sure the car was safe. I got a hinky feeling right before the guys called. I am fine." He held me close and stroked my hair, which had come out of the bun.

"Babe, I can't lose you." He says it quietly and I kiss him again.

"You won't. We take precautions and she is going to jail. Calm down for me, Carlos." He takes me to the fifth floor so the guys will not mutiny and they all pass me around.

"We have your beat down on video, Beautiful. You are a scary chic!" They all clap and cheer, but I can tell Carlos is about to lose it.

"Thanks, guys. I need to go and change. See you later." We take the elevator to the penthouse and as soon as the door to the apartment closes, Carlos is all over me. We do not make it to the bedroom. He is wild, frantic and passionate. All I can do is hold on for the ride.

Afterwards, we lie on the living room floor in a sweaty heap. Carlos takes a deep breath. "Querida, I love you." I smile against his skin where I am leaving love bites.

"I love you, too." He winces as I bite him harder.

"I am sorry if I was too rough." Even though my body is aching all over at this point, I know it was from being thoroughly loved. I smile and kiss his lips.

"When we make love, there is no such thing as too rough or too gentle. We needed each other and that is how our love making was this time. Now carry me to the shower." He smiles at me and laughs.

"Sure, Babe." He stands and picks me up. We kiss again.

"So, how was your mother at lunch?" I laugh and hug him and we spend our time in the shower talking.

Carlos decides to go to my hair appointment with me so he can get a massage too. He said it was that kind of day. I agreed. I am so happy that I kicked her ass, though. She deserved it. I cannot believe she thought a blown up car would stop my relationship with Carlos. What a dumbass. What Carlos and I have is forever.


	20. Chapter 20

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

I was sitting in my office talking to Lester. I know it is his job to keep me busy. While we talked, we went over the FTAs. Lester was staring at me. "What?" He smiled.

"You look beautiful, Beautiful." I was in a black and white mini dress and I was wearing thick black tights. The top of the dress looked like a corset and I had a matching black sweater jacket that was the length of the dress and it had oversized buttons. My hair was held back in a black sparkly headband and I was wearing heeled boots. I felt good about myself today, so I took the compliment.

"Thank you, Lester. Now, do you have any questions about my notes on the takedowns?" He shook his head. Max whined so I got up to take him for a walk. Lester blocked me. I sighed.

"Um, I can walk him for you, Beautiful!" I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Les. I will wait here for you to bring him back, then." He smiled relieved and left. I made a call.

"Yo." He seemed upbeat.

"Batman how much longer do I have to wait? I am hungry." He chuckled.

"The food and your surprise just arrived, Lester will bring you up in a few minutes. I love you, Babe." Awww.

"I love you, too, Carlos." I hung up and Lester came back.

"Beautiful, come with me!" He is excited. He is so funny.

He leads me to the stairs and we climb to the roof where a large group of people including Woki, his sisters Mercedes and Reina, Emilio, Celia, Isa, Ana and Ricardo. Next to them is Gram, Connie, Lula and my mother. She looks nervous. They yell surprise. Woki cannot take it anymore and he runs up to me.

"Estefania! Happy birthday! See, I came to your party and I dressed like the Justice League!" He hugged me while I carried him over to the rest of the group. He was in dark grey cargos and a long sleeved tee shirt that said Rangeman. He had a little vest on, and it looked real.

I raised both eyebrows at Carlos and he nodded. I just shook my head and I greeted his sisters. They told me they loved my dress and asked me to show them to be a badass princess. I just hugged them. Mercedes was eight and Reina was seven. They were very pretty and they had lighter brown eyes than Woki.

"Hello, Stephanie. I kept this a secret from you yesterday. Are you surprised?" I really was. I hugged my mother and she hugged me back. This was new and it has been a while since we have hugged.

"These nice boys came to the book store and said they would bring me back after our appointment. It was very hush hush. They gave me a secret password and this really nice chain with a diamond phone on it. They said if I was ever in danger to press it! Isn't that just the most wonderful thing! Of course my necklace is a secret." My mother was babbling.

"It does not look like a dungeon at all here. People really need to stop spreading lies about this place, Stephanie. Ella introduced herself to me and then she said you told her my pineapple upside down cake was your favorite and had I ever made it as minicakes. Well that sounds like a great idea. We traded recipes and I am going to try to make Magdalenas, they are these little lemon sponge cakes." I continued to nod at her.

"I heard about your tea party tomorrow. That is so sweet of you. Well, I will not hold you up. You have a lot of guests to greet. I will bring over the cakes tomorrow. I hope you and your young man will consider coming to dinner on Sunday." I smile a huge smile at this new and improved Helen Plum.

"Actually Mom, why don't you come to dinner here? I can cook and you can relax. Gram and Daddy are invited as well." She blushed.

"Well, that one boy, I think his name is Cal and he has a very interesting tattoo on his forehead. He gave me a gift card for a massage and hairstyling at Sak's and asked if I ever baked apple pie. I told him it would be my pleasure to bake him one. These boys need a mother's touch and they must run poor Ella ragged." Wow. They are expanding their underground dessert business. I already gave Hector his pie of the day.

"Oh, I missed the surprise! I had to drop the boys off at Chuck E. Cheese with Lenny. He is a big kid. They had no school today so I am very grateful. Hey, Steph. Wow, all of these guys are so cute. Put the kid down and hug me!" I kiss Woki and he agreed that he would mingle with the Justice League for a while.

I hugged ML and she waved at Hector and he came over and took a box from her and kissed her cheek. They are shameless.

"So, were you surprised?" I nodded.

"She sure was! Hey Mary Lou! Don't I look good?" Lula did look good. She was wearing black and white also, but hers was a tasteful zebra print wrap dress that came to just below her knees.

"Wow, Lula, you look great!" She smiled.

"White Girl, me and Connie have been working hard, okay. Now I am having some cake today, but I know how to juggle my calories and all of that good shit, plus we work out. We are going in the middle of the night now, too. Sometimes a bitch cannot sleep." I hugged her. Connie was busy giggling with Ram.

Carlos came up behind me and kisses my neck and Lula and Mary Lou had a glazed look on their faces. "Wow, girl. How can you stand it? He is so fine! Even if you don't wear black all the time, you are still Batman to me! I am headed over to the food, girl. We cannot stay long, but we left you a gift card for Pleasure Treasures. Not that you need it, but they have some really cool costumes." I smile and hug Lula again.

I turn to Carlos. "You let all of them into the building, Carlos?" He smiled and kissed me gently.

"They are your friends and family and Edna promised not to grope the guys if they gave her a pair of their boxer shorts." I laughed and kissed him back. "Thank you, Carlos. I saw the chain you gave my mother."

"That was not from me, Babe. Hector gave Edna and your mother those chains. His mistake was in having Cal deliver them. Now Cal will get apple pie and not him." I leaned into him and watched everyone mingling.

"Ahem." I looked up to see Isa and Celia. They held out their hands and I went with them.

"Chica, we come in peace. I know they are brash but we have to ask you not to attack our sisters any further." I smiled.

"Celia, I only did that so they could see that I will not be bullied. I love Carlos and I am not going to use him. I adore him." I look over at him and smile as I watch him avoid Gram's hands.

"We know. Now, you have the little tea party thing with the girls and Woki tomorrow and that is nice, but we want a girls' night tomorrow night. We talked to that really nice Lula girl and she said she was coming. What do you think?" I looked at Lula and she gave me a thumbs' up. I nodded at Celia and Isa and they hugged me and jumped up and down. They pulled me over to their mother and I guess Lester's mother by the way he was hiding from her.

"Hola, Estefania. Happy birthday. This is Maria, Lester's mother and my sister. She had been out of town last week. Woki and the girls are excited to come here tomorrow. Thank you for being so kind to mis nietos. Now tell me the recipe for your pies." She is so funny but I was not born yesterday.

"Ana, thank you. I cannot just give you that recipe. Maybe you have one to trade me?" She huffs at me and my mother comes over.

"You should have seen the way my Stephanie beat up this woman that tried to take your son from her yesterday. My mother put it on the Youtube. I will give you my lasagna recipe for your chili con carne recipe." I snorted. Did she just threaten Ana? They were hilarious.

"Fine, Estefania and Helena, I will trade you my arroz con pollo recipe Estefania and the one you want Helena." We go to a table and write out the recipes and shake hands. Wow. They get along.

"I must say, Stephanie, I am very proud of you. Now that I have a job, I can see what you mean by wanting to do something outside the home." Am I dreaming? "Besides, people talk like I am not there. I get so much good gossip!" And we are back. She had me going for a minute there.

"Thanks, Ma. I have to go and check on my puppy. Did you see him?" She smiles a huge smile.

"Yes! I am going to make Frank get us one! He is adorable and he growled at Lester when he tried to eat the cake. I like him. You go ahead. I need to get going, but I will see you on Sunday. Carlos said I can keep my new secret phone, too! I just call when I am almost here and they will let me into the back lot and give me my security badge. I have a password and everything so they know it's really me. I love this cloak and dagger, Stephanie." She hugs me again and pushes me towards the kids. Wow.

The guys were laughing and eating the food that Ella, Maria, Ana and my mother cooked. I sat at a table with Woki on my lap. Mercedes and Reina were sitting with us with Max between them. He was on a booster chair and his food bowl was on the table.

"So, Miss Fancy, can we really come here tomorrow?" I laughed at Mercedes. She decided that she wanted to give me my own name. Reina just nodded and said she would think of one. I told her that I liked Wonder Woman and she decided that I am Diana now.

"Yes, Cedes. We will watch a movie and have lunch and our tea party afterwards." She nodded.

"Diana, are we dressing up?" Woki gave me a please don't make me look. I kissed his forehead.

"Maybe we can dress up like a badass, Ray. I will tell your mother to send you a few outfits. I like your chains. I see you both have tiaras on them. That is nice." They beam smiles at me. Woki looks happy that I get along with his sisters.

"See, I told you that Estefania is the best, Ray and Cedes. She is smart and pretty and she has a gun!" They were impressed and asked to see it. I told them I only took it out to practice or when there was danger. I said it was hidden so the bad guys would not know I can defend myself and they looked around and nodded. Woki said he would stop telling people I have a gun so we can surprise the bad guys. They were the cutest.

"So, you are wearing a dress and you can still fight if you have to, Miss Fancy?" I played with Woki's hair while I agreed with Mercedes.

"Yes, Sweetie. When you learn to fight, you can do it no matter what you are wearing. I had to fight just yesterday and I wore a skirt at the time." They look impressed.

"Okay, kids. It is time to go. The party is breaking up and people have to get back to work. Estefania will see you tomorrow for lunch." Celia got three pouts, but they did not faze her. She was a professional at this. I got hugs and kisses and they left. The party was breaking up and I found Carlos by the door saying goodbye to his Aunt Maria.

"Si, Tia. I will try to help Lester to meet someone nice like my novia. Goodbye now. I love you, too." He was cute when he was frustrated. She left and he saw me. The heat in the look he sent me gave me shivers. I walked over to him.

"Thank you again for my party, Carlos. I love you." He just smiled and kissed me. Max barked breaking up our moment. I picked him up and took Carlos' hand and we took the steps to the ground floor and let Max run around the lot.

"You know, you did not open your gifts, Babe." He holds out a small envelope to me and I take it.

"What is this?" He just smiles and kisses my neck again. I love when he does that.

"Open it and find out, mi amor. You look so pretty today. How does it feel to be 27?" I smiled at him.

"It feels great." He was flush up against me and let me tell you it felt wonderful being twenty seven. I opened the envelope and saw an itinerary for a trip next weekend to Louisiana. I squealed and jumped onto Carlos.

In between kisses, I talked to him. "I always wanted to go there! Who told you! Thank you!" He just laughed and held me close.

"I love when your hair is down, Querida. You look so beautiful. Your friend Mary Lou told me when I asked her where you would like to go for your birthday. I was going to take you this weekend, but she said that if I did not let your family see you this weekend, it would ruin things and she was right. Your mother was almost pleasant to me. She asked me my favorite foods but she was pulled away by Mama at the last moment. They were funny." I hugged him again and he put me down.

"So you will go to the game with Lester and the guys tomorrow?" He nodded and whistled for Max.

"Si, Babe. Let's finish our paperwork and then I can give you the rest of your birthday gift." I moaned.

"You give me that gift every night, Carlos and I love it every time." He chuckles.

"Not that, Babe, but I will give you that as well. Did you see your new car?" We detoured to the garage and I saw my blue Jeep. It was cool. I hugged him and kissed him.

"Thank you, Carlos. Did the police contact you yet?" He shook his head.

"I will have Sawyer call them to schedule a meeting for Monday morning, Babe. Do not worry about it." We took the elevator to the fifth floor and Max took off to the control room. I went into my office. Ella had left me a note that my gifts were in my apartment. I loved the guys's welcome home gifts. I am sure I will like those as well.

They gave me a lot of gift cards and perfumes and bath supplies that were my favorites before, plus a new gun that I had not used yet because I only carried one. I carry the knife, though. I know that was from Hector. Oh well, I will see what they got me when I finished my paperwork. I noticed a framed picture on my desk of me and Woki and Max. Hector was so sweet.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I have had a bad few days. I cannot believe what happened at Rossini's with Joyce and then yesterday with Cupcake. Why were women so difficult lately? I was manning the desk for Lowicki while he went on a late lunch break and one of the Range goons came in with a small box and he had a guy with him that had on handcuffs. They were arguing.

"Come on, Santos. I said I won't do it again." Lester looked at the guy with narrowed eyes.

"Puck, I told you I would give you a piece of birthday cake and a ride to get a haircut. When you are finished getting bonded out, I will give you the piece of cake. You tried to take it all. I will shoot you over this cake. My Tia Ella baked it." The guy looked contrite.

"Sorry, homie. It's just that my birthday was last week and I did not get a cake. I was in a fight with my girl. Thanks for the assist today, man. She loved that Romeo and Juliet singing outside her window shit. I think we are gonna be alright now." Lester laughs.

"Next time, ask questions first. She was not cheating on you. That was her cousin. Just remember to call Al's and he will fix her car windows, Puck. Now wait over here. Some of this cake is for a couple of cops." The guy nodded and sat down and took off his own handcuffs. He started sending text messages on his phone.

"You did not even subdue your FTA, Santos? You guys are inept." He smiled at me.

"Is that your word for the day, Morelli? Anyway, Mr. Phillip Waters has had his charges reduced and he came with me to make sure everything was handled. Please get Eddie and Carl for me." The nerve of this glorified security guard ordering me around. I open my mouth to say hell no, when Eddie and Carl came up to the desk.

"Hey there, Lester. Did you bring it?" Lester gestures to the box by the guy Waters and they walk over to him and shake hands and walk away with birthday cake. I cannot resist asking him.

"Who had a birthday party?" Lester smiles a huge smile.

"It was Beautiful's party. Sorry, I mean Stephanie's party. She was surprised. It was a great time with both families there to celebrate with her and all. She gets along great with Ranger's mom. I like her mom now too. Miss Helen is nice and she offered to bake me a cake when my mother was not looking. I don't want those two beefing over me." What?

"So, sign here and here and I can go and drop Puck off at Keysha's house." I sign the papers while deep in thought and they leave after giving Big Dog a piece of cake too. The guys all ate their cake with relish.

This is all wrong. That should have been me giving Cupcake a party with my mother there not Manoso's! I have to think of a way to get her away from him. I saw what she did to the bitch that blew up her car and I don't want her mad at me, that's for sure. Seeing that though made me want her even more. I don't know what to do, though because I do not doubt she can kick my ass.

 **Ranger POV**

We were having dinner that I cooked and Babe was moaning her way through the chicken and broccoli with brown rice and garlic bread. I adored this woman. I cleared my throat. "Babe, here is my gift to you. " I hand her a jewelry box. She gasped.

"Do not panic. I am not proposing. I got this ring to match your bracelet. It is an eternity band in platinum with small diamonds set into it. Please wear it on your right hand and think of me when you see it. I know I will always love you, Stephanie." She sniffed back tears and I got up and pulled her into my lap.

"I love you, too Carlos. Thank you so much!" She kissed me and I decided that we had had enough dessert for one day and took my love to bed. She had a big day planned tomorrow with the kids but this time was just for us.

I kissed her body from head to toe as I undressed her. I feasted on her pussy and she moaned and screamed with each orgasm I gave her. This was how I loved to see Babe. Her hair was wild and her skin was flushed. She said nothing but my name and yes. I was making her feel this way.

Before I could continue my assault, Babe flipped us and started to torment me the same way I had done to her. She is a temptress and I love that she kissed me and used her tongue to savor her own taste from my lips. My Babe was a freak and dirty talk got her excited. I pulled her down to me and impaled her on my waiting cock and she howled and arched.

"Yes, Babe, take all of me." She rode me like her very own rodeo and I gave as good as I got. By the time she collapsed on top of me, it was almost 2100 hours. I had to get the puppy. I kissed her and took a shower. I dressed in a tee shirt and sweats and cleaned up the kitchen and put the food away.

I went to Hal's apartment and got Max who was waiting by the door lying there listlessly. I picked up the whiney baby and nodded at Hal.

"What is wrong, Max? I thought you liked Hal?" He continued to whine and I rubbed his belly and he whined louder. Oh no. Is the puppy sick? I woke up Babe and we took him to the vet's where they told us that Max just had an upset stomach from eating too much cake. They said he would be fine in an hour so we waited.

"I am sorry I woke you, Babe, but I figured you would want to know if Max was ill." She just kissed me deeply.

"I love you, Carlos. Thank you for being concerned about Max. The poor baby. Everyone must have doted on him today. I would have worried about my poor baby puppy. You are so thoughtful and you came with me. I bet a few weeks ago, you would have sent one of the guys."

I smile and think that maybe she is right. But I get to be here for her to sit in my lap and she looks so gorgeous with her hair in a ponytail and her sweatshirt and yoga pants on. She still has her gun inside of her boot and her knife inside the other one.

"My place is with you, Babe. I love being with you. Max is a part of our life and I wanted to come with you." She just smiled and snuggled into me. They brought a groomed Max out and he barked and Babe took him gently.

"He is just fine, you guys. We groomed him again." We thanked them and paid for the services and left. Max was back in his little car seat and chewing on a toy.

It was a little while before we settled back into bed, but Babe was fussing over Max who was loving the attention. Before she fell asleep cuddling Max and with me cuddling with her, she whispered that she loved me. I kissed her neck on my favorite spot. "I love you, too, Babe."


	21. Chapter 21

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

I was kissing Carlos goodbye in the lobby and waiting for the kids. He was dressed in jeans and a Rangers' tee shirt with a hoodie jacket. All of the guys were dressed like fans. They said it would help them to blend in. Carlos was doing his checklist between kisses.

"Babe, I love you. Do you promise to stay here with the kids unless there is an emergency?" He was adorable. I kissed his neck and bit him, leaving a mark. This made his pull me even tighter into his body and when I was done, he gave me a matching mark.

"Yes, Carlos I promise. Do you promise not to shoot anyone unless it is for self-defense?" He looked at me and smiled. No, that was not going to work on me today. His smile got bigger. I must have said that out loud.

"Si, Babe. I promise. Will you call me if you need me?" I love this man.

I nodded and played with his hair. "Yes, Carlos. Go and have fun. I will see you at dinner time and don't forget, I am going out with the girls tonight." He sighed. I had won the negotiations for tonight after he let me ride him like Zorro again this morning. My man was a sex god. We were having guards who would also be our drivers. I am pretty sure it was going to be guys' night tonight as well, but I would not expect any less from Carlos. His watch beeped and he kissed me one last time.

"Have fun, mi amor. I will see you later." He pet Max and left with the guys. They all cheered and took a stretch Hummer that was of course black. My phone rang and I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Stephanie, it's your mother. I am around at the secret entrance. The boys said to call you because they are going to a game and you are waiting for the children. I love this phone. Oh! My password is pot roast." I laughed and walked to the loading dock. My mother was standing there in a denim dress and some cute furry boots. She looked relaxed. I let her inside and she handed me two shopping bags.

"I made extra for the boys that could not go to the game. So, I wanted to see the children. You don't mind, do you?" She was trying to be nice. I could try as well, plus she seemed like she needed to talk to me.

We sat in a room near the lobby while we waited. She sighed.

"Mom, what is wrong?" She looked at me.

"I think that Valerie is getting a divorce. Her husband is cheating on her and well, I don't know how to feel about it. I mean, what will she do now with two little girls?" I inwardly cheered.

"Mom, if the louse is cheating and she is unhappy, she should not stay. Maybe she should move back here. She could be independent for a while and you could help her to get a job. Then, maybe she will meet someone who deserves her. She can raise her standards. Does she have any money?" My mother was deep in thought.

"Well, she had moved more than half of the money and she had me to cosign some things. Maybe you are right. I know she liked being married, but if she is really unhappy, she should leave. No one deserves to be cheated on. I have been reading some nice books recommended by Oprah." I just smiled at her.

"You know it is not your fault when bad things happen to us, Ma. It is the fault of the person that did the deed. Dickie was wrong and now Steve is wrong. If he thinks so little of his wife and kids, he needs a time out and in a marriage, that means divorce. Besides, what if he gave Val some disease or something. That would be bad." My mother was nodding along.

"You are right, Stephanie. I will look for a house for Valerie and the girls. It will be nice to have them around again. Okay, wow. I always thought it was my fault because I pushed you to marry Richard." I took her hand.

"Nope. It was my fault for marrying a man I did not love and it was his fault for cheating, and on my new dining room table! I think I was the most angry about the loss of the table, Ma." She giggled at me.

"You are a hoot sometimes. Do you promise that you do not chase criminals anymore? I worried so much, Stephanie." I hugged her.

"I promise. I just do the research and maybe talk to people on the phone. I even have a guard most of the time because Carlos is paranoid, but I know how to use my gun if I have to, Ma." She sighed.

"Good." My phone rang and it was Celia.

"Hello?" She sighed.

"I am to tell you that Princess Jasmine, Princess Mulan and Wolverine are here." She laughed as she said it.

"Okay. I will be right there. Ma, the kids are here." She followed me back to the door and we let the kids in and I gave them their security badges. They had duffle bags, which I took and placed them onto a cart that Ella assured me I would need. She must be magical.

"So, you have my numbers and blah blah blah. See you kids!" She kissed them and ran away to her car. Celia is hilarious. My mother was exclaiming over the kids and their outfits. They were dressed in jeans and tee shirts that had the characters Celia named.

"Hello, Estefania! Hello Miss Estefania's Mommy!" Woki was the cutest.

"Hello, Miss Fancy." I nodded at Mercedes.

"Hello, Diana." Reina was excited.

"Well, kids, I have to get going. I have to be at work and then my husband is taking me to Rossini's for dinner. It will be nice." I smiled. That would be nice. I wonder when daddy talked to her. He barely spoke anymore. Ma left and I told the kids to follow me. We were hanging in my apartment. I gave one bag of goodies to Marco and he hugged me and promised to call Woody and Linc to get their share.

We took the elevator and went into my apartment. "Okay kids, first we will have lunch. Your mother said no one is allergic to anything, so I thought we could make our own pizzas." They cheered. I know kids.

I gave them all aprons and we used my counter to work on. I explained that Max could not eat too much or he would get sick and they said okay. As they worked on their toppings and laughed together, I was reminded of the children in my other life. They never did things like this with me. Well my life is different now.

Reina and Mercedes decided to show me how to do the dougie and I showed them the running man. Woki said he could do the dougie and he looked adorable doing it. Our hair was in pigtails and we had tiaras on our head and Joaquin had a kangol hat because he was cool. We watched Tangled and The Princess Bride and then the kids fell asleep after a bathroom break. I was not expecting the call I got from Carlos.

 **Ranger POV**

"Man, this box is the bomb!" I just smiled and nodded at Lester and Bobby as they ran around the box like little kids, touching things and spinning in the recliners.

"Are you sure we should have brought them, Rangeman?" Tank was worried.

"No, but the alternative would be that I left them alone without adult supervision." He nodded grimly.

We had shrimp and burgers and we watched the first quarter of the game. Things were going smoothly. Too smoothly and it was kind of quiet. I looked around and Tank was asleep and Bobby and Lester were gone. Cal and Hal were into the game. Dammit!

I told them to watch Tank and I left in search of the fools. I found them arguing with a group of guys that had their torsos painted with the letters D-E-V-I-L-S. People started cheering and I realized the argument was being shown on the large screens. Why did I bring them again.

"Lester and Bobby, there are make your own sundaes in the box. If you come with me, you can each have two scoops of ice cream." They stopped arguing and shook hands with the men and pulled me back towards the stairs to our box. We stumbled and tripped over Joe fucking Morelli. What is my life coming to?

He sneered at me. "You can't control your goons, Manoso? I think I will have to write you up for public drunkenness." Why won't this man just give up?

"Look, Morelli, you are not here as a cop, but as a spectator like the rest of us. We are not drunk." Lester was behind Morelli making bunny ears and imitating him. I had to struggle with my blank face.

Morelli was not giving up. "I have a friend that is a cop in this township and I am calling him. We will see how golden you are when you don't have the rest of the Trenton PD to have your back. You thugs do not scare me." I just stared at him and called Tank. He did not answer so I called Cal. He said he would get Tank to the car and that they would go back to the building and call the lawyer for me, Bobby and Lester.

At that moment, Morelli was doused in cheese sauce that Bobby had found at the concession stand. I just sighed. It was that kind of a fucking day. Lester joined in the fun by throwing hot dog buns at Morelli. They said he was a pig in a blanket. They poured relish on him and he cursed and slipped around. I know someone was filming this for Youtube. My poor Tia Maria. By the time the cops came to arrest us, Morelli had Ketchup, Mustard and onions all over him. Lester and Bobby might actually be a little drunk.

While they were being booked, I called Babe. She said she loved me and that I should stay calm and that the guys can't stand Morelli and that she would have poured soda on him herself. It made me smile. I love my woman. I got the Terror Twins released with a fine for public drunkenness and we left. They kept giving me puppy eyes as we rode with Sawyer.

"What, Lester?" He added the trembling lip as well.

"Cuz, you promised us sundaes." Dios!

"Sawyer, please stop at the Friendly's so I can get these guys their sundaes." He just laughed and nodded. By the time I got them back to the building, they were passed out. Good. Babe still has to go out tonight. I need a fucking nap.

When I entered her apartment after giving the guys to Hector and Manny to deal with, I found her and the kids passed out on the sofas. They looked so cute. Did I want kids? I thought about it. Yes, I do, but can't they come already potty trained? Yes, and that was called adoption. I would talk to Babe about it.

She seemed to love spending time with Woki and now she has Mercedes and Reina as followers. They have little water guns and I see silly string on the floor. They must have had a really good time. I took a shower and dressed in sweats and woke the kids and Babe. Emilio would be here to get them soon.

"What is it, Tio Ric? Do we have to leave? We like Miss Fancy." Mercedes was funny.

"Si, Diana gave us water guns and we practiced shooting!" Reina was bouncing around and they were all doing the dougie to music that they turned on, even Babe. I took another picture of them.

"Estefania is the best Tia!" Wow, they have adopted her. I guess I will keep her even though she is teaching them to breakdance. Her phone rang and she talked, and then she turned off the music. The kids started packing things up and talking rapidly to her. She smiled and nodded and they cheered and ran for the bathroom.

"What did you promise them now, Babe?" She kissed me.

"I promised that we could go bowling again this Wednesday, Carlos. Woki told the girls that we got ice cream and that I had to pay because I lost. Hey, you seem no worse for the wear. When you called me earlier, you seemed like you wanted to shoot someone." She stood on her tippy toes without shoes on her feet and kissed me. I relaxed even further. I love this woman.

"Babe, I feel much better now. Morelli is a nuisance. You were right, it is a little funny now." She smiled at me.

"Are you sure you can handle me going out tonight, Carlos?" Hell no, but I know my woman.

"I will do my best, Steph. Please be careful and do not drink too much." She nodded against my chest and the kids came running up to her. She moved away from me and hugged and kissed them. We walked them to the loading dock and took back their badges and Emilio hugged Babe. She told him about Wednesday and he asked me for a moment. We stepped away from the kids.

"Marry her!" I laughed at him.

"No, really. I love her and she is not even my woman, man. She is great with the kids and she even treats me nice. Do you know how long it took for the other family to accept me? It was brutal and Ricardo still acts like I cannot fish and do the grill as well as the others. He says I am a freeloader sometimes because I work from home." I laughed.

"Emilio, he is just teasing you. He likes you. Now what are you doing while your wife goes out drinking and dancing?" He grinned.

"I am watching movies with the kids and letting you handle the girls gone wild. I know how Isa gets. Is Estefania the same when she drinks?" I do not know.

"I don't know how she gets, man. I am hoping for the best." He snorted and patted my shoulder.

"At least you will know where they are, Carlos. See you later!" He was very smug. If he did not have the kids, I would make him do Babe Watch. I sighed. She turned and smiled at me. I will do anything for that adoring smile she gives me. I am so lucky to have her. Fine. I will do Babe Watch tonight. Bring it on.

 **Stephanie POV**

It was decided by Isa that we would go to Club Picante and Lula and Connie were dressed in red and green respectively. I was wearing a black dress that was short and it was a halter dress. Carlos loves my stockings. He begged to be able to take them off later and I agreed. Isa was wearing silver dress that looked painted on and gave Wyatt heart palpitations or something. He stuttered at her and she just smiled back like she had all of the power. Celia was also in a black dress and it had a flair to it.

"White Girl, I love these little 'yo quiero taco bell' men and they love them some Lula." She was drunk and she was dancing with Diego. He had begged to come and Carlos said fine since he was family.

Lula thought she could do these dances and it was hilarious to watch. When she tried to take off her clothes, we decided it was time to leave, but then Lu wanted waffles so we went to a diner and she danced around and Connie joined in with her.

The guys had a hard time keeping her clothes on and she decided we should have a best boob competition. The rest of the diners were the judges and the winner got a gift card to the diner. The owner was an older black woman and she just laughed at us.

Celia and Lula were tied and Lula took that moment to open the front of her dress. That was the tie breaker. She won because she had a tattoo on her breast. Celia sighed and took her prize which was a slice of apple pie.

I congratulated Lula and my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Babe." This one meant, do not flash your boobs. I giggled.

"Hey there, Batman. Do you want to show me the batcave later? I want you to be rough with me, Batman. I have been a bad girl." He growled and I moaned.

"Si, Babe. Come home. I am waiting for you." I told everyone that I knew Batman and they cheered. I heard Carlos sigh.

"Stephanie, please do not yell things to people." I stuck my tongue out at the phone.

"Babe, stop that. I can think of a better use for your tongue, Querida." I looked around. Where was he?

"Babe, you are on camera. I have the guys wearing the cameras so we can watch you ladies." Of course you do, Batman. I licked my lips and blew him a kiss.

"See you at home, Ricky. Do you have any whipped cream? Will you be my dessert?" Wyatt howled laughing and dragged us to the waiting Hummer.

I sang the Batman theme song all the way back home. Or maybe that was my phone ringing. Who knows? I woke up as Carlos carried me into his apartment. He was so dreamy. He always made my panties wet. I love the way he smells. Oh, he is so strong and I love when he holds me. He is my best birthday gift ever. I kicked Catwoman's ass! Batman is all mine!

 **Ranger POV**

Well, it could have been worse. The guys stopped Isa from giving some random guy a lap dance. They stopped a girlfight even though Lester called and offered to pay them to let them fight. Celia paid them to let her do shots off of their stomachs. They stopped Babe from stripping along with Lula and they took everyone home.

Babe said they needed the cure in the morning and I sent out text messages so that would happen. Now Babe is speaking her thoughts out loud and she is talking about me. I love her, too and I want her all the fucking time. I am glad she had fun, though. Now it's my turn. Heh heh. Maybe a shower will wake her up so we can play a little.


	22. Chapter 22

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Helen POV**

I was leaving church and I was deep in thought about my day when I was stopped by a voice calling me. I turned and it was Maria Givenchy. She is such a nice girl. I smiled at her. "Yes, dear?"

She grinned back. "Mrs. Plum I am having a sale on skirt steak if you want to grab some for dinner today." Isn't that just great?

"Well, Maria, I am not cooking dinner today, but I will let Stephanie know. I am not sure what she is preparing tonight." People gasp. I am a little wary myself, but those children yesterday were raving about Stephanie's pies and a lemon cake she baked. I will just have to see for myself. If all else fails, she has that wonderful Ella to help her. All I am taking over are the cookies I baked before church. Those boys need mothering.

"You mean your daughter is cooking Sunday dinner, Mrs. Plum?" Oh, she has that gleam in her eye. She wants to help me brag. I really like this girl. I smile a huge smile.

"Yes, Maria. She invited me and Frank over to her new apartment. You know it is in that security building. Those boys are so well mannered. I have to run, though. I have a spa appointment that they gave me a gift card for. It will be a refreshing change to be taken care of today instead of being the one taking care of everyone. You have a nice day, Maria." She nodded and I left. Let them spread some good news for once.

I have to say, this spa massage and hair appointment combination is just amazing. I felt so relaxed by the time I got home and we still had two hours until dinner with Stephanie. Frank winked at me. Oh, really? Should I? Oh, well, fine. I followed him upstairs. This day just keeps getting better and better.

 **Ranger POV**

Babe disappeared into Tia Ella's apartment after her shower. Well, it was her second shower. Heh heh. I loved the first one and I loved being the reason for the second one. My woman excites me all the time. She said I need to go and pick up the flowers and the wine for tonight. I told her that the Wine Shop was closed today and she said to go to Rossini's and buy two bottles from them. Fine, Babe. She had kissed me and told me that she loved me and then she skipped out of here. Damn she is so beautiful.

I dressed in dark blue jeans and a lighter blue sweater that Babe said fit me deliciously. I loved the way she had licked her lips when I tried it on, so I wore it. I grabbed my jacket and told Max to come on. At the florist, people kept exclaiming over Max and he loved the attention. Mr. Caseley recommended roses, so I bought three dozen assorted colors. I picked up the puppy and we left to the dismay of the people in the shop.

For my next stop, I called Rossini's and talked to the manager. He agreed to sell me red and white wine since I do not know what she is cooking for dinner. I should have asked; that was a rookie mistake. I told him about my puppy and he volunteered to come out to the car since I paid with my credit card over the phone.

Since we had time, I decided to be nice to the TPD. We went to a few shops and I took them lunch. We walked into the station and I was carrying a huge box. The cop at the front desk today was named Hunt.

"Good afternoon, Officer. I wanted to bring this lunch to you guys as a thank you." He smiled at me and waved at Max.

"That is a cute puppy you have there, Ranger." I smiled at Max. He barked happily.

"Yes, I actually bought him for Stephanie. She loves this puppy. He is smart, too." Suddenly, Max growled and I turned to see Morelli standing there. I picked up Max and stroked his head to calm him. I wonder what he will say to me.

"Good afternoon, Morelli. I brought in lunch for the station." I smile at him. He grinds his teeth.

"Well aren't you just a model citizen, Manoso? What's with the dog?" Max growls again. Good dog.

"This is Babe's puppy, but she is busy cooking dinner for tonight. She invited her parents over, so she is pulling out all of the stops. I told her to just do something simple. I even offered to help, but she said that this was something she wanted to do and she sent me for the flowers. I think she wanted me out of the way. She said she would not get anything done if I was there. She is so cute sometimes."

I stop talking because Morelli is turning a particular shade of purple. I motion for Officer Hunt to get him a chair and a bottle of water or something. He does not appear to be breathing. A few cops gather around and try to get Morelli to breathe. He finally calms down and just glares at me.

What was his deal? I was only making conversation, and I did not even mention that he got us arrested on nuisance charges yesterday. Nope. I am being pleasant, so why the hostility? Wow, is he really still after Babe? Oh well. Max gave out a happy bark and jumped out of my arms. He ran over to Eddie Gazzara who was eating a hot dog and started begging. I chuckled and left Morelli alone to talk to Eddie.

"Hey, Ranger. Thanks for lunch. This is a cute puppy you have here." I nodded and allowed Max to have one small bite of a hot dog.

"No problem, Eddie. I was killing time since Steph kicked me out for a while. She is cooking dinner and she said I am a distraction." He laughed.

"Did you just tell Morelli that? No wonder he almost passed out." I smiled.

"I did not mean to brag, I was just talking about my day. Is he dating anyone?" Eddie snorted.

"Nope. He has a bad rep among the ladies with the whole deli thing and then the tube socks. I heard most of the women were complaining about him being inconsiderate. I think the size thing on top of being a selfish lover is just too much." Morelli is an idiot. I love having my pie every day. Babe thought I was joking at first. Now she knows I mean business. Damn, I want her again.

"That is a shame. I cherish my woman. Well, I have to go, Eddie. You have a good one." He waves and I carry Max out of the station. I did my good deed for the day and I think I put some positive gossip out there.

We are almost back to the building when the phone rings and it is Lester. What did he do now? "What, Lester?" He giggles.

"Hey, Cuz! So, we are having a twister competition. Do you want to join in?" Hell no.

"No thank you, Lester." He giggles again.

"See right, can you come to the rec room on the 4th floor? We need a judge. I think I won and Cal thinks he won. Jack thinks he won and none of us will move until we get a ruling. Tia Ella said to leave her alone and Beautiful said to get someone to take a picture and then she hung up." I park the car and let Max out. I grab my purchases and walk with him to the side lot.

"Lester, are you saying that you will remain in that position until I come down to judge the winner?"

"Yes, Ranger. We bet on monitor duty. This is serious." I wonder how long I can make those fools lie on the floor with each other. Oh, Babe wants a picture. Fine.

"Okay, I am on my way, Lester." He sighs.

"Cool, because I have gas and the guys still won't move." He giggles again. He really needs a woman.

 **Stephanie POV**

I was doing a checklist. We were having glazed salmon with rice, carrots, cabbage, corn on the cob and cornbread. There was no gravy in my meal. We also had a tossed garden salad, fruit salad and a choice between vanilla pudding, vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce, and chocolate cake for dessert. It did not take long to prepare. That was easy.

I was going through my outfits. What should I wear? Ella promised to keep the food in her apartment until dinner time and I was standing in front of my closet. I finally chose a yellow dress that had a modest neckline and a hem that came to my knees. It left my shoulders bare, though and my jewelry would be on display. I was putting my hair into a ponytail as well.

I had just finished laying out my clothes on the chaise lounge in my room when I was attacked. He must have used stealth because I did not even get the neck tingle this time.

"Carlos! Get off me, I have to shower and get ready!" He kept kissing my neck and undressing me. I was only in sweats, so it was easy.

"Babe, I want you and just think of how relaxed you will be for dinner." He made a good point. He rolled us over and I undressed him with the same fervor he exhibited. Why were we so ravenous for each other? Carlos had found a new cure this morning. Who knew orgasms worked? I love this man.

"I love you, too, Stephanie." I love how his voice gets when he is aroused. He finished taking off his pants and we rolled again. He stared at my face with such a look of adoration; I almost got tears in my eyes.

"Stephanie, you are so beautiful and caring. I am so happy that we are together. I had convinced myself that I was not the kind of guy you wanted. I was going to just be friends with you, but then you got hurt and you were all I could think about, Babe." He is so serious right now.

"I kept thinking what if she does not remember me or something? When will she wake up? I missed the woman who gave me attitude and told me she was going to do an impossible job with or without my help. You surprised me, Babe and you did not give up. I told myself that I would try to be more than friends with you when you woke up. I only hoped you would want me, too." He kissed me deeply. Wow, Batman.

I linked my arms behind his head and wrapped my legs around his back. We made love slowly, with a rhythm that felt like we were savoring each other. I opened my eyes and I did not even realize that they were closed. Carlos was still looking at me with a smile on his face. I crested another wave of pleasure and arched my back with my orgasm. He is such an amazing lover.

"Carlos, when I saw you in my hospital room, I was so happy. I really wanted to see you and there you were. It was just the two of us, so you could just be yourself with me and I love those times. I love the man you are without all of your different personas. You are handsome no matter what, but I love the guy who was not afraid to show me his emotions. I love when you smile at me, Carlos. It sends a thrill through me every time." He kissed me again and then he buried his face into my neck and our pace picked up and we both screamed with our release.

I panted. "I think it is time for my third shower of the day, Carlos." He was sucking on my neck.

"Stop that! My parents will see it!" He just chuckled at me.

"So they will know that I am passionate with you, Babe. So what?" Well, he had a point.

"Maybe you are right, Carlos. Did you call your mother today?" He flops onto his back next to me.

"So I saw your dress, Querida. I love that color on you. Will you wear your hair down?" Why was he avoiding the topic?

"Carlos, why are you avoiding your mother? She will come here, you know." He sighed.

"Babe, if I call her, she will show up and take over dinner tonight. I know she hit it off with your mother but you do not realize what both our mothers in the same place adds up to." I kissed his shoulder.

"Ricky, I am not afraid of wedding talk. They can talk about it all they want. We will make our own decisions. I love and adore you. We are new, but as far as I am concerned, we are forever. There is no rush. Let's go at our own pace. I only ask when a wedding happens; it does not turn into some frilly ruffly affair." He let out a breath he was holding.

He held my hand and kissed it. "Thank you for telling me how you feel about weddings, Mi amor. I feel the same way about you. I just want to love you. So what is for dinner?" He was so sweet.

I smiled at him and we got up to get into the shower where I tried to fight him off and lost again. What is in his vitamins anyway? My back was slammed against the wall and he had my legs spread wide. He was using a grinding stroke and talking to me in Spanish. I understood him and he was telling me that we would be together forever and that I was his love, his life was better with me in it and that he treasured me.

When I got to his apartment, which is where we decided to have the dinner, and I saw all of the roses, I smiled. They smelled amazing and they really livened up the room. Ella had used her magic on the table and it was set perfectly.

I even noticed some pictures of us on the tables. There was a copy of the one I have on my desk with Woki and Max, but there was another of me with Woki, Reina and Mercedes dancing. We looked funny and we looked like a family. Carlos walked up behind me and held me like that.

"I took that picture yesterday, Babe. You looked so adorable playing with the kids. You made me want kids and then I wondered if they came already potty trained and then I thought about adopting. I would love to have children with you, Stephanie." I turned in his embrace and we kissed.

"I am not against adoption or having children, Carlos. We can wait until after we get married, though, and maybe we could live in a house by that time. For now, let's spoil the rest of your nieces and nephews. I heard from my mother that my sister will be moving back to town and she has two girls." He kissed me again.

"Okay, Babe. Thank you for hearing me out." I hugged him. Mmm, he smells so good.

"Of course, Carlos. Now, let me open the wine and set out the appetizer tray." He held me close a while longer, and then he let me go to do what I had to do. He seemed a little clingy and nervous. Things will be fine.

 **Frank POV**

I like the way my wife has turned over a new leaf lately. She seems happier and more attentive. It is a good thing, too, because all of that drinking and nagging was giving me thoughts. Like moving out of the bedroom thoughts. Now, though, she has that part time job and she is making friends with my Pumpkin.

I am starting to see the woman I married in Helen again. She even confided to me about Valerie and that she may be moving back to town. Before I could even worry about losing my bathroom to three more females, Helen told me that she was looking for a house for Valerie to rent. She said it would not be fair to me to take away my peace and quiet when I just started to enjoy it.

Edna is alright and everything, she just kept different hours and she was always into something. I liked my time with the guys at the lodge, but when I came home, I wanted to relax. Where is she? We need to get going or we will be late.

"Helen! Get a move on or we will be late!" She came down the stairs in a nice green and white dress and matching shoes. Well, maybe we could be a little late. She giggles.

"Frank! Stop that!" Oh, I must have said that out loud. I am in a suit myself. She insisted and she was quite convincing, so I have on my grey suit.

"Frank, you have to drive around the back and did you get your secret password?" She worries too much. I was holding her hand as I drove. I followed her directions and we were around the back of the building. She jumped out of the car before I could open her door and she was carrying a shopping bag and talking on the phone. Two tall guys hugged her and she was laughing with them. She gave them the shopping bag and they kissed her cheeks.

"Frank this is Cal and Manny. These poor boys live far away from their mothers and so I baked them some cookies. Promise me that you will share, now?" They nodded at her and smiled.

"Yes, Mrs. Plum! Your cake was so good the other day! Thank you for thinking of us!" She did not even realize that they were working her. They let us inside and I gave them my password which is fishing. We got badges and they told us to go up to the 7th floor. This place was nice inside. They even had nice elevator music.

Pumpkin was waiting for us and she looked bright and cheerful in her yellow dress. She hugged her mother, and then me. Helen fussed over the apartment. It was furniture, what was the big deal. Was that a big screen and he had four recliners? I might really like this guy even though I could see love bites on both of their necks. These young people have no restraint these days. A throat was cleared behind me. I must have spaced out staring at the television. It was a beauty.

"Mr. Plum, I got you these cigars." He hands me a box of Cuban cigars. Well that is just perfect. I smiled at him and thanked him.

"We can go up to the roof before dessert, Mr. Plum." Great!

"Please call me Frank. Now tell the truth, can my Pumpkin cook or is it going to be another salt in the cake situation?"

He laughed and told me all about how she loved to bake and that his aunt helped her anyway, so she would have fixed any problems. That was a relief. I love my daughter, but she usually hated cooking. She must have just been in the wrong environment before.

We sat down at a nice looking table and had appetizers while Helen went on about the décor and the wine. I noticed that she sipped it instead of her old habit of gulping it down. When Stephanie served dinner, which was delicious, Helen could not help herself and she started the wedding talk. It must be a woman thing.

 **Stephanie POV**

"So, Stephanie, I was talking to Ana earlier. She wanted to know if Frank and I would come to dinner next Sunday. Isn't that nice?" I smiled. Yup.

"That sounds, nice, Ma. Carlos got me a trip for next weekend, so we won't be here." She swallowed her food and regrouped.

"So, where are you going, not Las Vegas?" I laughed.

"No, Ma. We are going to Louisiana for the weekend. I have always wanted to go there and I think we will have a great time." I reached for Carlos' hand and held it.

"Oh that sounds lovely. So have you given any thought to getting married? You can't live together forever you know, Stephanie." I ate the food on my fork and then I set it down.

"Ma, we have given it thought, but we have not been together for a month yet. Give us time, and I have my own apartment." She gave me a knowing look.

"Really Stephanie. I know you have your own apartment, but I also know that you two must stay in both. It is good that you have given it some thought, though. Maybe Ana and I could plan something for the spring. What do you think?" She is relentless.

I turned to Carlos but he gave me the look that meant I had to answer myself. I took a deep breath.

"Ma, you and Ana do not have to plan the wedding. Why don't you let me and Carlos plan it? When we are ready, we will let you two help us. Please do not rush us." She huffed a little, so I figured I would throw her a bone.

"Ma, we would want something elegant and not at the VFW. You can look at hotel venues." There, now she had a project.

"Fine, Stephanie. We can research that for you. This salmon is really delicious. You will have to share your recipe with me." I nodded and drank my wine. Crisis averted for now. Carlos just smiled and kissed my hand.

When we had finished dinner, my mother helped me to clear the dishes and Carlos took daddy on a tour of the building. They think they are so slick. I saw them take their coats. Whatever. There was a knock on the door and I opened it to find Gram with Max.

"Hey, Stephie. I came over for dessert and I am right on time. So tell me, did she start to plan your wedding yet? I wan to plan the bachelorette party." My mother was behind me.

"Mother!" I giggled. Gram was so funny. She waved my mother off. She was also in a blue halter dress.

"I also came over to see if the Package would let me use the shooting range. I want to practice." Lord help us.

"Gram, your dress is nice. I think that you should not worry about shooting today." She helped us with dessert and told me about the funeral she was going to tonight.

"Gram, maybe you should sit this one out. I have a bad feeling about the funeral home right now." She sighed.

"But I got all dressed up, Stephie. What will I do with myself for fun tonight?" I thought fast and said the first thing that came to my mind.

"You could go to bingo or you could play cards with the guys. They like poker." They were going to smack me.

She thought about it and then she nodded.

"Fine, I will ask the boys if they want to play poker with me. I have a good poker face. Maybe they will want to play strip poker." Those poor guys. I would owe them two pies.

Daddy and Carlos came back and we had dessert. Gram disappeared and I found her on the bed rolling back and forth. "Gram?" She looked at me and smiled.

"Girlie, this is some bed. I don't think I would ever leave it. I love the headboard. Tell me, does the Package tie you up?" I was saved from answering by Lester coming into the room.

"There you are, Edna! We are playing spades. Come and be my partner." He helped Gram up and she left winking at me over her shoulder. I joined my parents and Carlos in the living room. He was letting my mother talk him into dinner on Wednesday. I had to stop him right there.

"Carlos, we have plans on Wednesday night." He smiled at me.

"Babe, we can reschedule with the kids." Nope.

"Carlos, you don't get kids. They are already looking forward to this. Maybe we can have dinner another night with my parents. What about Thursday night?" He shakes his head and his smile looks forced.

"I am on call Thursday night, Babe and every night this week except for Wednesday night because of our weekend trip." That was fine, but still.

"Mom, we will just have to have dinner with you and daddy next week after we get back. Maybe we can bring you a nice souvenir." She smiles and nods. Carlos just has that same fake smile on his face.

They leave, soon after that and Carlos said he had to review the schedule so I watched him go to his office. He seemed pleasant but I cannot shake the icky feeling I felt when Carlos agreed to dinner and wanted to change our plans. I mean they were his nieces and nephew. Why wasn't he more excited to be with them? Was he really more excited to hang with my parents?

I thought about it as I cleaned up the kitchen and more as I took Max for his walk alone. Was I making a big deal about nothing? Did Carlos expect me to go along with his plans all of the time? Who said I wanted to have dinner with my parents anyway?

I took Max back to my apartment and I changed into a sports bra and shorts and went to the gym with him. Why was this bugging me so much? I was a sweaty mess by the time I returned to my apartment to take another shower. When I came out, Carlos was lying on my bed. He sat up at stared at me.

"Stephanie, why are you working against me?" What the fuck was he talking about?

"What?" He sighed.

"I am trying to get along with your father. How can I do that if you avoid them?" Is he serious?

"Carlos, if you want to spend time with my father, you can do it without me. He likes sports, fishing and cigars. I know you gave him some today. I don't get why you would want to disappoint the kids. You saw their faces yesterday when I told them yes for bowling." He gave me a long look.

"You agreed to that without even asking me, Stephanie." I do not like the way that sounded.

"Carlos, I agreed that I would go. I assumed you would want to come since you came the last time, but if you do not want to go bowling, I will just take two of the guys instead." He almost growled at me.

"Look, I did not say I don't want to go, I just think we should have dinner with your parents that night." I put on my pajamas and turned to him.

"Carlos, please listen to yourself. You do not like going to your parent's house because of the nagging. We were not even at their house tonight and my mother was bringing up marriage. Can you imagine what she will do when she has us on home turf? What is this really about? You were fine earlier." Why was he mad?

"You made it seem like I have no say in what I do anymore, Stephanie." Did I?

"Carlos, that was not my intention. I merely pointed out that children would be more upset than grownups. From now on, I will stop making your choices for you. I had not even realized that I did that. By all means, you should be able to enjoy your one night off this week. I will go bowling without you. Are you on call tonight?" He just stares at me.

"No, I am off tonight, Stephanie." His voice sounds so flat.

"Well then, maybe you should go and relax with the guys or something. I am going to bed now." Did I just put him out?

"You want me to leave?" A little.

"I want you to leave until you are in a better mood, Carlos. It seems like something else is bothering you and you are taking it out on me." He stands up and walks out of the room. I follow him to the door. He turns to me before he opens the door.

"Nothing else is bothering me, Stephanie. You were being bossy and I did not like it. Since you asked me to leave, I will do so." Were we fighting? He walked out the door and slammed it. I just stared at the door. What should I do? He came right back inside and slammed the door again.

He stood in front of me. "I am not leaving. You will have to put up with me, Stephanie."

"Why do you keep saying my name like that, Carlos?" He sat down on the sofa in my living room and used the remote to put on a movie.

"Don't you like it?" No, not really.

"No, I like it when you call me Babe. What is wrong with you?" He sighed and leaned back against the cushions.

"I thought you wanted me to behave a certain way, so I did and then you fought me on it. I was making nice with your parents and you were the one blocking it. How will I make sure that they like me and that they approve of our relationship if we do not have dinner there once a week?" He is worried about that?

"Carlos, even if they do not approve, I love our relationship. I don't ever want us to make a decision for us based on someone else. I love you. You do not have to be have any kind of way for me to love you." I climbed into his lap and kissed him.

"Trust me, we have their approval. My father spoke to you instead of just grunting and my mother could not stop praising your apartment. She even loved that I cooked. I adore you, Carlos. Do not drive yourself crazy trying to please the parents. Trust me. I ended up in a loveless and doomed marriage from trying to please my mother. Just be yourself, Ricky. Stop scowling at me, too, before I sic my puppy on you." He sighed and kissed me. His hands rubbed at my back.

"Babe, you know I love you, but I wanted you to have a stress free time and I thought I had to agree to things just to accommodate that. When you left the room, your mother cornered me about dinner and I just agreed to get her to stop talking. Now I know how you feel sometimes. I am sorry that I got so stressed out about it." I leaned into him.

"I want there to be no hostility between you and your mom. I know how that feels. I had that with my mother. Before I met you, she was always trying to trick me to come to dinner with the bachelorette of her choice. I had stopped going for that reason." My poor boyfriend.

"Hey, you have me now and I am not afraid of either of our mothers, Carlos. Thank you for thinking of me, but you don't have to do anything special for people to like you. I heard about you and Max at the station. You are a wonderful man even if you called me bossy. I think you won't get to be my dessert tonight just for that." He tickled me.

"You are bossy sometimes, but I like it. I am sorry, Babe. I should have told you what was on my mind. You know you are my treasure. I could not even storm away from you. Now what was this about dessert?" I giggled and got up to go to the kitchen. He followed me of course and I had dessert right there on the floor. Mmm, Carlos with vanilla pudding. Delicious.

I went to sleep thinking about today. I think it was a success. We even had a tame fight. I know that if we had allowed our small amounts of resentment to grow, we would have become angry with each other for basically no reason.

Carlos kissed my forehead again. We took a bath together and just talked. When we got out, Carlos attacked me again. He said that it was only fair that he had his dessert, too and he had it without the pudding. I love this man and he loves me enough to drive himself crazy over my happiness. A girl could do worse.


	23. Chapter 23

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Ranger POV**

It was the kicking that woke me. She had rolled away from me again. Babe was tossing and mumbling in her sleep, but she kicked me a little close to my manhood and I was awake. I pull her into my arms and speak to her in Spanish. It always calms her. I notice that she is shaking and that she is sweaty. I carry her to the bathroom and undress the both of us so that we can shower. She just clings to me and nuzzles my neck the whole time.

"Babe, please tell me what your nightmare was about. Is there any way that I can help you?" She takes a deep shuddering breath and answers me.

"Carlos, I just do not want to have a life without you in it. I love you so much." Fine, she does not want to talk about it. Maybe she would tell Tia Ella? I kiss her gently and we get out of the shower and dry off. I change the sheets and tuck Babe into bed.

After promising that I am getting her some tea, she cuddles with Max and lets me go. She is only vulnerable at nights. Maybe I should not resign my black ops contract. How could I leave Babe to worry about me anyway? Besides, I really want to think about having or adopting kids. I would absolutely adore having a little girl that has Babe's beautiful eyes and hair calling me Papi.

I take Babe her tea and hold her while she drinks it. It is 0200 and I had left briefly to referee the guys. They were arguing about surveillance detail and whether or not they could take snacks. I told those asshats to look up the meaning of the word emergency and not to call me unless someone was bleeding.

Tomorrow, well later today was only Tuesday and I have a meeting with Frank and Joe Juniak. I let them pick the restaurant. They want to ask me for something, I just know it. As long as it is not anything illegal, I will probably say yes. I take the mug from Babe and set it onto the nightstand.

"Stephanie, you can tell me anything. I, too have demons in my past. I would not think less of you, mi amor. I love you no matter what. I am here for you." She straddles my lap and lays her head against my chest.

"Oh, Carlos. You are so perfect for me and I love you, too. I will try yoga and meditation. Thank you for being understanding and I want to be here for you, too. Now put me back to sleep, Ricky." Yes, Babe. Anything for you. We make love with the lights on and we hold hands and kiss the whole time. We fall asleep intertwined on the bed with her hair fanned out on my chest.

 **Stephanie POV**

Carlos was so understanding last night. I called Isa because she kept texting me, and she told me that her Zumba class was today and did I want to come. I said alright and Marco agreed to come with me at lunchtime.

I had decided to wear a black wrap dress with matching boots today because it is easy to change out of. I noticed that the guys were a little excited about something. I refused to be drawn into their little schemes, but Lester came to me instead of waiting until Wyatt and I dropped off the files.

"Yes, Lester?" He smiles a huge smile.

"Beautiful, what are you dressing as for Halloween?" Nope. I am not participating in his scheme.

"Lester, I am going to Woki's party and I thought that you were doing the fundraiser for Halloween." He grins at me evilly.

"The fundraiser is actually two days before Halloween, Beautiful. We will be on alert for Mischief Night. That leaves Halloween, Beautiful." I laugh at his exuberance.

"Les, that still leaves me going to Woki's party. I am not letting him down, and I am not sure what I am wearing to the party, yet." He leans in and tells me the real reason that you are so bouncy.

"Listen, we have a pool that says you cannot get Ranger to wear a costume. I am willing to split it with you, Beautiful." He is so silly.

"Lester, I know that Carlos is on call that night, so he already told Joaquin that he was wearing his uniform." Lester pouts.

"Come on, Beautiful! Use those eyes! Flip that hair! Smile at him and he will do what you want. If you convince him to wear a superhero costume, I will win the top bet! Please do this for me, Beautiful."

"Do what for you, Santos?" Carlos is in the doorway and he is wearing a suit. He looks amazing. Lester almost jumps out of his skin and then he tries to shrink into his seat.

"Nothing, Cuz. I have to go. I will take these files, Beautiful. See you!" He squeezes past Carlos and runs away. I get up and walk over to my man and hug him. He embraces me and kisses my forehead.

"Babe, I am about to go to lunch with your father and godfather. Please be careful when you leave. I have a meeting after that as well. I will see you for dinner, okay?" I smile at him and we kiss briefly.

"Yes, Carlos. Have fun with Daddy and Uncle Joe." He kisses my neck and whispers that he adores me and then he leaves with Max following him. Is he taking the puppy? I turn to Wyatt.

"Are you a part of the betting pool, Wyatt?" He shakes his his head no.

"Nope. I am not getting into trouble by participating in one of Lester's 'great ideas'. Are you ready to head out?" I smile and grab my duffle bag.

"Yup, let's go." He smiles and takes the bag from me. I guess there were some perks to having an enforced partner.

 **Ranger POV**

Why do I have to go to Pino's? These men must really want to fan the flames of gossip. I walk inside and see that I am the first one to arrive. I sigh inwardly and decide to wait at a table in the back. Of course, my mother called me to nag me. I was going to have to limit my answers.

"Hola, Mama." She squeals. Why is she so excited?

"Hola, Carlitos! So I have heard from little Cedes and Ray all about Estefania. Now you will have to have Liliana, Dante and Serafina over soon as well. I can be the go between if Estefania is not comfortable with Portia and Elena." Nope, I am not agreeing to anything without checking with Babe first.

"Elena says that Sera would love to be a badass princess and Portia says that Lily now wants a puppy like yours. Dante told Portia that he wants to learn spy stuff from you." I take a moment to look at Max, who had followed me to my car and refused to go back into the building. He was sitting across from me watching all of the people. Mr. Pino had smiled when he saw him.

"Can I talk to them separately, Mama? I am not able to make that decision right now." She just ignores me.

"Carlitos, I have six nietos and I would love to have more. Keep that in mind. Now, you cannot do things with three of them and not do it with the rest. It has been a few years since I held a baby." She was nagging and begging for another grandkid in every other sentence.

"Mama, maybe we can bring them to play tomorrow night. Let me talk to Babe. If Portia and Elena will behave, then it should be fine." She continues to talk. I can hear pots and pans in the background.

"Oh, they should be talking to her right about now, Carlitos. They are taking the exercise class just like Isa today and Isa said she would invite Estefania. I want all of the girls to get along. Celia has to work so she is not coming. She also told me that she would not do my plan because she does not want garbage thrown at her and Emilio hung up on me. He said he was friends with Estefania and he did not want her mad at him." I laugh.

"I don't know what is wrong with them. The girls want to make nice now. Soon they will be best friends. Now, Helena called me. She said you told her to find a hotel venue for your wedding. What job should I do?" Babe is going to snap. I have to get Mama off the phone so I can call her. She does not need to be ambushed like this. Dios, why can my mother not let things be for a while?

"Mama, you can research flowers and bands. We will want Latin music as well as modern music." I can hear her jumping up and down. I cannot even stay upset with her.

"Okay, Carlitos! Helena said we cannot do the dress and that Ella has already decided that she will do the cake. When will you ask her officially? Do you need help planning a romantic night?" I take a deep breath.

"Mama, please calm down. We have to take things slowly and we cannot bombard her. When her mother calls you, just stall her or something. Let me plan this my way, please." There, I was firm, but polite.

"Okay, Carlitos. Let me know if you need help and tell Estefania that she is welcome here anytime. Your father wants her to bake him a pie." I smile.

"Okay, Mama. I have to go now." She hangs up and I take a deep breath and call Babe. It goes to voicemail. I call Wyatt and he answers out of breath.

"Yo, Boss." He seems distracted.

"Is she mad?" He pants and I hear music.

"Nope. She is fine, but we are doing the workout right now. I am sure she will call you or talk to you soon. Things are okay." Alrighty then. We hang up and Max growls. I look up to see Joe Morelli. I look at my watch. Where are Frank and the mayor?

"Hey Manoso, you know that dogs are not allowed in here. Aren't you overdressed for Pino's? Is Cupcake meeting you here?" I remain pleasant even though I want to punch him for his continued use of that crass nickname for my Babe. Before I can answer him, though, Edna shows up.

"Hey Little Joe! Hello, Ranger. My bingo game ran a little long. I am going to take Max here for a little walk at the park across the street. He is an excellent man magnet. Come along, Max!" Max yips and follows Edna after I give her his leash. She winks at me as she leaves. I notice that Morelli is turning slightly red. What is wrong with him?

"No, Morelli, I am not meeting Stephanie for lunch. Why do you care?" He gives me an ugly look.

"This is the wrong place to come if you are meeting some piece of tail, Manoso. Everyone will talk about seeing you here." He is so delusional.

"Thank you for the advice, Morelli. I am not meeting a woman here. I would never cheat on Stephanie. I am not like you." He snarls at me and takes a step forward, but a voice stops him.

"Hey there, Carlos! I am sorry that Frank and I are running late. He refused to pay me. He lost that pool game fair and square the other night. Hello, Officer Morelli. Would you excuse us?" He called him officer. I almost smile at the look on Morelli's face when he sees that I am having lunch with the mayor and Babe's dad. I stand to shake their hands and this forces him further away from the table. He sputters and turns colors again, and then he storms away.

"Hello, Mayor Juniak and Frank. How are you gentlemen today?" They smile and they both order meatball subs. I order a grilled chicken salad.

"We are just fine, Carlos. You are looking well." Why are they stalling? It must be bad.

They talk about fishing and sports until they finish eating and then they do rock, paper scissors to decide who will talk to me. The mayor loses, so he faces me.

"Listen Carlos, we need you to have a charity football game against the cops for the Boy Scouts." He lets out a long breath and Frank gives him another soda to drink. This could be interesting.

"Mayor, I will do it if we change it to softball and it is against the firefighters." They huddle and whisper to each other. The mayor smiles, but shakes his head.

"No. It has to be against the cops, but you can donate to the firefighters as well if you want." What is the deal?

"Why does it have to be against the cops, Mayor?" He wipes his face.

"We already made the book on it, Ranger. People have placed bets and I even had the idea to get the mayor of Boston to do the same thing if you agree with your branch there." I glare at him while I think. My guys would love to do this, but, well.

"Look, Mayor Juniak, we have a good relationship with the police department right now. I don't want to make it seem like we have some sort of rivalry." He smiles and drinks my drink as well.

"It will be all in good fun and we can change it to softball with no problems. You get to choose the colors of your uniforms too! You can have any color but blue." I nod at him. He throws money on the table and shakes my hand and runs away.

"He is going to put an ad in the paper before he misses the deadline, Carlos. It is good of you to agree to that. I know you don't really want to do it." I smile at Frank.

"It's not a problem, Frank. I am all for helping the community." I look up as Edna comes strolling inside without Max.

"Where is my puppy, Edna?" She gets excited.

"He is getting his picture taken. He stopped a purse thief! One of your guys is watching him because I make the photographers nervous. Little Max is a hero!" Of course he is. I stand up to leave before I miss my next appointment.

"Thank you, Edna. Which guy has Max?" She smiles a huge smile.

"It is that nice Calvin. He has a tattoo on his head. I asked him if I could touch it and he let me! He said to tell you that he was taking Max back home. He came to check on him because his tracker was too far away from yours. Isn't that the thing! You take care of Stephie's puppy, too. She is so lucky to have you, Ranger! Give me a hug!" She attacks me with a hug and frisks me in the process. I pull her hands away from my ass and smile at her. She is a mess.

"I will see you later, Frank, Edna. I have a meeting to get to." I escape the restaurant fully aware of the camera phones aimed my way. It is only 1400 hours. What else will happen today?

 **Helen POV**

The bell above the door jingles and I look up to see Frank. He had called and told me that he was bringing me lunch from Pino's. He walked up to me and kissed my cheek. People tittered behind me. I just smiled.

"Hello, Helen. Here is your lunch. So, Ranger is going to do it. That was a good idea you had; you are so smart and now you can go ahead with your bake sale idea." I blush at his praise.

All I had said was that those boys were in such good shape that they must play sports and it would be nice to see them play against some of the guys at the station. Frank said he could make it happen and he talked to Joe Juniak. Well now the ladies and I are going to have a bake sale that day as well.

"I need to get a move on. I am driving the cab for a few more hours. Let's do salads tonight for dinner. Ranger had a grilled chicken salad and it looked delicious. Did you hear that Pumpkin's puppy stopped a purse snatching? He is going to be in the paper!"

Wow, that is such great news. I make him tell me all of the details and then I text Mother so she can send me a picture, because I know she took one. Frank kisses me on the cheek again and leaves. He smiles more nowadays. Now I have gossip to spread and it is true again!

Before I can make a call, my phone rings and it is Ana. She sounds excited and she is talking in Spanish way too fast for me to handle. I wait until she takes a breath and I remind her that I am not that fluent in Spanish. She switches to English and gives me her report.

"So, I did it. I planted the seed with Carlitos about children. He said I can find them a band and flowers since you are doing the hotel. Ella is doing the cake. She also told me that she has the credit card, so our budget just grew. Have you started on your guest list yet? Maybe you can keep the rowdy people off the list? Estefania has a mean streak when you make her mad." So do I.

"Yes, I have started my list, Ana. Did you hear that your son and his guys will have a charity softball game in November? It is to benefit the Boy Scouts. Isn't that great?" She squeals and mumbles to herself.

"So, good, we can do the bake sale thing. I am glad we met, Helena. Maria is sometimes a stick in the mud and she is afraid to plot and plan. Our ninos need us! I will work on her. She will be so jealous that I am planning Carlitos' wedding." This is why I like her.

"Okay, Ana. I have to go now, but I will let you know if anything else happens." She promises to do the same and hangs up. I am planning a wedding, but it will be elegant and kind of exclusive. I don't want Stephanie to get mad at me again. I hated that feeling. Now to get back to these books. They really should have a book club around here. Maybe I will start one because I love these Oprah books!

 **Stephanie POV**

"So, really, are you mad at me? You have to understand, Chica, I live with Mama and I am not married and I have no children. I had to do something to make the voices stop. Please do not make me bald." I laugh at Isa as we change our clothes in the locker room.

"Isa, you have been played by one of the best and I suspect that my mother is helping her. I really do not have a problem with Dante, Sera and Lily coming to bowling. Next time, just tell me that they are coming. I am perfectly able to be pleasant. It will take a little time, but I think we can be friends. They will see that I love and adore your brother." She leans against the locker.

"Girl, I was so worried that you would freak out on me! I like you and Celia refused to do it. She told Mama that Woki and the girls would hurt her in her sleep if she made you mad." I giggle and hug her.

"I am not really hard to get along with and I don't want to be enemies with them, Isa. Now I have to get back to the office. I have missed calls and texts. See you next week!" She kisses my cheek and I meet Wyatt outside the locker room. He smiles at me.

I let him drive as I check my messages. Poor Carlos sounds worried. Max is a hero? My brave puppy! Ma wants to know if I want to do a bake sale next month. Whatever. That is tame for her. Where is the nagging? Ana wants me to know that she thinks I am great with children and that her Carlitos is lucky to have me. Uh huh. My phone rings and a voice is whispering.

"Hola, Estefania. This is Ricardo. Will you bake me a pie, Dulce?" I giggle at him.

"Sure, Ricardo, I will bake you a pie." He is funny.

"Listen to me. Ana is planning your wedding with your mother! They are in the cahoots together!" It figures.

"Thank you for telling me." He clears his throat.

"I already said I will bake the pie. Do you want two?"

"Si, and I can be your informant. You are a good girl, Estefania. I do not care about some big party, I just want more nietos. I like to fish, you know." I shake my head at him.

"You should call my dad, Ricardo. He and his friends love to fish and sometimes they will go out on a friend's boat." He gets more animated after hearing that and I give him daddy's number. We hang up with a promise that he will pick up the pies from Emilio tomorrow. He said he would be nice to Emilio.

Back at the office, the guys have set up a board and they are making a lineup. They are ridiculous. Suddenly, there is an alarm and Ram confirms that someone has landed on the roof in a helicopter. I wonder who it is as I watch the guys turn deadly. They lock my into my office with Wyatt. Well, isn't this great?


	24. Chapter 24

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Ranger POV**

I got the call on my way back to the office. There was a breach of security and they had locked down the building. What the hell? I called Tank and he answered sounding scared.

"Yo, Rangeman." What is his deal?

"Tank, are you in danger?" He giggles a little bit.

"Not as such, but you may still want to proceed with caution, man. Kitty's got claws." He hung up. Oh no. Not her!

Two years ago, we met up with an operative named Panther. She was better than Jeanne Ellen and I offered her a job. Things were going well until Lester slept with her. She said that she would see me one day, but at the time, she had to move on to another opportunity.

I have never forgiven Les for doing his one night stand routine with her. Then again, if I had hired her, maybe I would not have considered meeting Babe. Who knows? I call the control room and cancel the lockdown and then I call Babe. I know she hates not knowing what is going on.

She answers on the first ring. "Carlos, what is going on?" See? I know my woman.

"Babe, the person who landed is named Catalina Torres. She goes by Panther and she hates Lester a little bit. I offered her a job a couple of years ago, but she said that she was not taking the job at that time. I guess she is ready to work with us now. Are you alright?" She sighs.

"Are you sure that she does not like you or something? Tell me now so I can prepare to kick her ass, too." I love this woman.

"Babe, I am sure that she does not want me. Anyway, I want only you. I am parking now. I will be up there in a few minutes."

"Okay, Ricky. I love you. Tell Marco that I am not mad that he chickened out at the last minute today." I laugh and hang up.

Inside the building, I go to my office and check my messages. There is one from Panther that says I am dropping in soon. She is funny. I go out to the control room and give Marco his message and make sure that Hector resets the systems.

I head to the conference room, where Tank, Lester and Bobby are inside with Cat. I open the door to find her seated by herself and the guys on the other side of the table. They are still in their SWAT gear and she is dressed similarly. Her auburn and brown hair is pulled into a ponytail and she has a smirk on her face. She also has her booted feet crossed on my conference table.

"Hola, Ranger. How are you this fine afternoon?" She is smiling at me.

"Cat, you could have called. The guys should have shot you." She shrugs.

"You have them trained well, but I am better, Ranger. I still had your letter and I showed it to that guy Cal and then Tank here recognized me and Bobby and Santos validated his claim. Now I am being babysat. Why won't they let me out of this room? What or who are you hiding me from?" She is smart.

"Do you have a place to stay, Cat?" She shakes her head and nods towards her bags in the corner. Dios! I need to talk to Babe.

"Will you give me a few minutes, Cat?" She just nods at me and goes back to doing her puzzle book. I leave the room, pulling Lester out with me.

"What did you tell her?" He looks nervous.

"Nothing, Cuz. We consider her at security level black until further notice." He looks uncomfortable.

"Look, Les. You might want to go ahead and apologize for being a dick. She probably does not care anymore and you will need to work with her." He sighs.

"Fine. But, she is the one that said she did not want anything serious on the mission." He looks a little sad.

"Just try to be pleasant. I have to talk to Babe." He nods and goes back into the conference room. I take a deep breath and go into Babe's office. She is typing on her laptop and Wyatt is reading files. I ask Wyatt to give us a minute.

Babe stands and walks over to me and we hug.

"Hey, Carlos! Did you talk to her?" I pull her closer to me. I love her scent.

"Yeah, Babe. Listen, she does not have anywhere to live, so I was thinking that we could offer her your apartment. What do you think?" Am I rushing her? Will she feel crowded by me? She smiles.

"Okay. Ella is already packing up my stuff with Manny and Hal. They agreed to help for cake because the guys said I had to stay in here for the time being. Why are you hiding me from her if she does not want you?" I sigh.

"Babe, the guys were not sure of her security level and information about you is classified." She nods.

"Okay. I will meet her sooner or later, Carlos. Don't worry about me, Ricky. I can hold my own; I am a bad bitch when I need to be." She kisses me deeply and a throat clears. Dammit, why can't they follow directions?

"Listen, Ranger, I made up with Santos and that nice Ella came and told me that my apartment would be ready in an hour. Hector came and gave me a badge and a set of car keys and a key fob for my new apartment. I figured that meant I was in and Tank and Bobby could stop guarding me. What a nice puppy!" She says all of that and then she stoops down to play with Max. I sigh. I love Tia Ella.

"Catalina Torres, this is Stephanie Plum. She works in research and she plans the takedowns." They both give me a look. Fine.

"She is also my woman. Be nice to her or she will get revenge on you." Babe kisses me and pushes me out of the office. I have things to finish anyway. I hope they get along, because if they do not, it will be world war three in here.

 **Stephanie POV**

Well, she was gorgeous and she was giving me the same once over that I was giving her. She sat down and Max came back to sit at my feet. She sighed.

"What?" She rolled her eyes.

"I just got out a week ago, Chica. I am done fighting and I do not want to be in a Mean Girls situation. Can we skip the initiation and agree that I am not after Ricardo and then we can go shoe shopping tomorrow or something? I love your boots and I want a puppy like yours. Is Lester dating anyone?" Wow. I make sure the door is locked and I motion her over to the sofa.

"Catalina, I am not a mean girl unless you make me into one. I think you passed the initiation when you made all of the guys spring into action." She snorts.

"I sent Ricardo a message that I was coming. It is not my fault that he did not check his emails. So are you Italian or what? We are about the same size. Let me try on that dress."

She starts undressing and someone knocks on the door and a moment later, Lester sticks his head in the door. He gulps because Catalina has not stopped undressing. I decide to act like nothing is happening.

"Yes, Lester?" He stares at her as she drops her pants and her top onto the pile that includes her boots and her vest.

"Um, wow. Well, would you like to go to um, Shorty's with us, Beautiful and Panther?" He licks his lips as she stands there in just a sports bra and tiny bike shorts. She takes her hair down and stares at me expectantly.

I go to my desk and ask Ella to bring a simple jersey dress down for me and I turn to Lester.

"No thanks, Les. I am having dinner with Carlos." I look at Catalina and she is stretching.

"Catalina do you want to have dinner with the guys? You would be going into gossip central, so if you do not want everyone in town talking about you, say no." She grins at me.

"Steph, I am not afraid of the gossips." She levels a look at Lester who is still ogling her and clears her throat.

"Yo, Santos, I will come with you guys as soon as I get a dress." Ella comes into my office and closes the door in Lester's face.

"Hello, dear. I brought you a black and white dress to match your boots. What is your favorite color?" Catalina hugs Ella.

"I like you! I love purple, black and white. Thank you for your help today, Ella." Ella waves her off and hugs me before she bustles out the door again. Catalina puts on the dress and her boots and I watch her rearm herself.

"So, you are being all lovey dovey with Ricardo, huh? He had a pretty good hold on you earlier. He also looked at you like you were his world. How did you do it?" I laugh at her. She puts her hair into a ponytail.

"I don't know how I did it, Catalina. All I know is that he gave me a chance and I gave him one right back. I met him because I took a job as a bounty hunter and I did not know how to do it. He was trying to train me even though he knew I had no idea what I was getting into. In the end, we got closer to each other and I ended up in the hospital." She is riveted.

"He visited me while I was in the hospital and when I woke up, I decided to stop holding back on my budding feelings for him and we started seeing each other. Now we are moving in together and you are taking my old apartment. What job will you do here?" She sighed.

"Oh! Tell the story again! I love it! Really, though, I think I will be doing distractions and I am a whiz at electronics. My specialty though is explosives." Wow. I smile at her.

"Those are some serious qualifications, Catalina. I was pretty proud of my shooting skills and here you come along being gorgeous and saying you can make a bomb. Go away before I scratch your eyes out." She laughs and shoves me gently.

"Chica, I am not competing with you. I was just telling you what I can do. I am happy that you have a relationship with Ricardo. He was too serious the last time we met. It's nice to see him moony eyed. Of course he will now realize that he should not have teased me when I was the same way about Mr. Santos out there." She sighs.

"He is still so fucking handsome. I think I will let him jump me later. It will be fun to see him peeing a circle around me tonight." I laugh at her and answer my phone. It is Ana.

"Estefania, can you answer yes or no?" I sigh inwardly.

"Yes." She giggles. "Is there a woman there that mi sobrino likes?" She is relentless about her nephew now.

"Yes." I can hear her jumping up and down.

"Should I call Maria to let her know?" I look at Catalina who is listening to the call on speakerphone and she nods.

"Yes." She squeals. "Is she pretty?" I smile.

"Yes." She gasps. "Can she beat him in a fight?" I look at Catalina who nods at me. Me too.

"Yes." She puts the phone down and yells. When she picks up the phone she is rushing me to hang up.

"That is wonderful news, Estefania. I am glad that you are still speaking to me from earlier. I told Carlitos that you were not going to be upset. I will talk to you soon!" She hangs up. I look at Catalina.

"What is the story, Chica?" I tell her about Portia, Celia, Elena and Isa and then I tell her about the kids and she coos over Woki's picture.

"Awww, he is adorable! You are taking them bowling tomorrow and Ricardo is going as well?" I smile at her and take the picture back.

"Yes, Cat." She pouts at me.

"Do you want to come to bowling, Catalina?" She hugs me again.

"No, I am busy, fine twist my arm I will come with you." She is hilarious and she looks cute in my freaking dress. She catches me staring at her and rolls her eyes.

"You are pretty, too, Chica. I meant when I said I did not want a Mean Girls situation. I would rather we were friends than enemies. Now it is time for you to go and I want to check out the apartment before I hang out with the guys." I smile and hug her, and then I take Max with me to the 7th floor.

When I enter the apartment, I find Carlos in the closet shifting things around.

"Ricky, I can help you with that." He smiles and turns to me. We gravitate towards each other and we kiss.

"Oh, Babe, I love you and I am so glad that you agreed to live with me. I know that women need more space than men, so I am making room for your things." I look into the closet and I see that all of my things are already there.

"What things? My stuff is already in here, Carlos." He just stares at me.

"Oh, well. Ella said you might buy more things." He is so cute.

"Yes and I know that there are storage boxes that we can use for our seasonal clothes. Calm down, I am not changing my mind. I love you." We kiss again and I start to strip out of my clothes on my way to the shower. Carlos follows me and we wash each other before we make love and then we rinse off and get out.

 **Carlos POV**

"Babe, about tomorrow, who is going with us since we will have six children?" She walks past me in a tiny tee shirt and those boxer shorts. She is barefoot and her hair is loose. Will I always want her like this? She grins.

"I invited Catalina to come along, you are coming and I will be there. I am sure that Portia and Elena will be there and I guess that Wyatt will come as well. That is six adults which is one adult per child. Is that good enough, Ricky?" Yes. No. I don't know. All I can think of is how much I want her again. I nod at her and answer the door. I was expecting Ella, but it is Marco.

"Yes, Lopez?" He looks nervous. "Um, well, see…" I look behind him and no one is with him. Where is Ella?

"Just say it, Lopez." He takes a deep breath.

"I was with the guys and we were racing to the stairwell so we could go out and we accidentally ran into Ella and knocked her and the cart over. She is fine, but your dinner is not fine. Luis is cleaning it up. Ella told me that since I am the one that actually knocked her down, I had to tell you that your dinner was not coming. She said you should go out with Steph. I am sorry, Boss."

I just nod at him and slam the door in his face. Why do they hate me? I know the guys are going to Shorty's and I do not want to go there. Maybe I should order take out and bring it back for Babe. I look at her and she smiles at me. I crook my finger at her and she runs to me and jumps into my arms.

I kiss her again. "We are on our own for dinner, mi amor. What do you want to do?" She nuzzles my neck.

"We can go to Hop Sing's and eat there, Carlos. Let me get dressed." But I love the tiny shorts! I kiss her and she runs into the bedroom. I sigh and follow her. Living here is like living in a frat house sometimes.

 **Lester POV**

So now Cat drops into my life literally and I had to watch her undress earlier. She is trying to kill me. I offered her to ride with me and she agreed. I know that she accepted my apology and all, but I still feel funny about how we left things. Before we exit the car, I lock the doors and turn to her.

"Catalina, I have always thought about you and I thought before that we could have had something back then. Are you interested in seeing me?" She looks at me and suddenly her eyes almost glow. Damn, she is gorgeous.

"I hear that you are a ladies'man these days, Santos. I don't want to be just another notch on your belt. I am worth more than that." Never!

"Torres, are you telling me that you did not feel it between us when we were together that time?" She continues to stare at me.

"That is not the point. I am talking about commitment. I can have feelings for you and ignore them if it means that I will not be treated the way that I deserve." She has a point. I sigh.

"Look, Cat, no one was like you. When I saw you on the roof, I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut and I have wanted to touch you since that moment. I can be monogamous. Will you give me a chance?" She leans forward and kisses me. Oh my damn, she tastes good. She pulls away first.

"You know I have skills, Santos. If you fuck me over, I will blow your shit up. Now let's go inside and have fun with the guys." She gets out of the car and I know I locked the doors. Wow. I get out and catch up to her and I put my arm around her shoulders. She grins at me and we go inside.

"Yo, Santos, stop hogging the new girl." Bones is in for it. Cat sits down at the table with Hector and Manny and I sit next to her.

"Bones, I am going to have to disappoint you. She is not a girl, she is a woman and from now on, she is my woman. If you have a problem with that, I am sure that Cat will gladly meet you on the mats at 0600." He glares at me and looks at Cat. She is talking to Hector but she turns and gives me a wink and resumes her conversation. I love her hair and her green eyes are amazing, too. Someone punches me on the shoulder.

"What?" Bobby laughs.

"Man, I was asking what kind of pizza you want." Oh, well I must have zoned out for a moment there. She is hazardous to my health.

"I want plain, Bob." He nods and places the order. Cat takes my hand under the table. Maybe if she stopped touching me I would be able to stop fantasizing about her. She is playing with my hand and running her fingertips across my palm.

I look at her and she is talking to Ram about guns, but she continues messing with my hand. I pull my hand away and run it up her thigh under her dress to her mid-thigh and she gasps and shifts in her seat and crosses her legs. Our food arrives and I do not even taste it because all I can think about is her taste. I hustle her out of the restaurant and back to the car when we finish eating. In the car, I am as honest as I can be with her.

"Cat, I want you, but I don't want to rush things. When we get to the building, I think I should say goodbye at the car because otherwise, I will attack you and I think we should go on some dates or something." I drive as fast as I can. I really need to use the gym pronto. She clears her throat.

"Are you telling me that I cannot make my own choices, Lester? I am a grown woman and I want you. Now, you can go and get your overnight things and meet me in my bedroom. We can still go on dates, but I want to connect with you. I thought about you, too and now I am out. My contract is up. All I wanted was to come and find you." Wow. I feel so special right now. I parked the car and kissed her.

"I will see you in fifteen, gorgeous." She smiles at me and I race to my apartment. My phone rings while I am packing.

"Si?" There is heavy breathing.

"Osito!" Why does she still call me teddy bear?

"Yes, Mama?" She sniffs. Why is she crying?

"I have talked to Ana who talked to Carlitos and Ella and I know about your novia." They are worse than the Burg gossips!

"Mama, she just got here today and her name is Catalina Torres. She will work here from tomorrow and she gets along with Steph." She crosses herself. I can hear the chain. I look around my bedroom to see if I am missing anything. Score! I get to live in the luxury apartment before 90 days. Go me.

"Osito, promise me that you will not have babies without a wedding." Sure thing, Mama.

"I promise, Mama." She lets out a breath.

"So will you bring her to dinner this weekend?" That is soon.

"I am not sure about this weekend, Mama. I will let you know, okay?" I want to throw her a bone, but what could I promise her?

"Do you really like her, Osito?" Hell yes. She is perfect.

"Si, Mama, I really like her." She squeals.

"Promise me that you will treat her like a lady deserves, Osito and do not take any crap from her either just because she is pretty." Wow.

"Si, Mama. Thank you."

"Nonsense, you are my little boy and I worry about you. I will let you go. Behave and please use condoms, Osito." I laugh and hang up.

I knock on Cat's door and she tells me that it is open. I walk inside and she is waiting on the couch. I drop my bag and approach her. As soon as I sit down, she perches herself on my lap. She leans in to kiss me and I pull back.

"What?" She looks irked.

"Cat, I really like you and I want us to see each other, but I do not think we should have sex yet. Can I still stay and talk with you and hold you tonight?" She glares at me and gets up and paces, and then she takes her phone and walks into her bedroom and slams the door. I flop back on the couch to wait for her answer.

 **Stephanie POV**

I was at dinner with Carlos and we were enjoying ourselves when my phone rang. I answered it and listened to Catalina mumble to herself in Spanish for a whole minute before she took a breath. She finally said that she wanted to talk and could I listen to her story. I told her to go ahead and Carlos paid the bill.

I listened all the way to the car and through the ride home. She finished by telling me that she feels rejected and would I help her to give Lester a soap party later. I laughed a little and shooed Carlos out of the car. He looked at me like I was crazy, but he stood outside of the car while I finished my talk with her.

"Cat, do you want Lester to feel like you only want him for his body?" She gasps.

"No, Chica, but I want to have sex." I can understand that.

"Hey, maybe you can do third base with him and talk to him, Cat. I think he wants to show you that you are more than a one night stand to him." She growls.

"You want me to fondle him?" Why do these Latinos think third base is fondling?

"No, I am suggesting oral sex and fondling, but not full sex. Just talk to him. He jokes around a lot, but he has feelings, too." She lets out a long sigh.

"Fine, you are right and I hate you. I will talk to him and I will stop being a bitch. You just do not know how fucking much I want him. I can feel him when he is near me, Chica." You are preaching to the choir.

"I do know how that feels, Cat. You and Les need to come to an agreement. Carlos and I have rules and it works for us. Now go and hug the poor guy. He probably thinks you are changing your mind about him." She hangs up after agreeing to meet me in the gym at 0600. I get out of the car and kiss Carlos.

"Thank you, Ricky. Let's get the puppy and go to bed." He takes my hand.

"I am right behind you, Babe." I love his smile.

 **Lester POV**

She opens the bedroom door and comes back to the living room and sits next to me. "Lester, I am sorry for being a bitch. Maybe I was rushing things. Will you let me touch you, though? I want to kiss you and touch you and I want you to do the same to me." Wow, I was not expecting her to say that.

"Sure, Kitten. Come here." She pushes me down on the couch and I let her take charge. She undresses until she is naked and I pick her up and carry her to the bedroom where I undress and put my phone and my guns on the nightstand. She moans and reaches for me, so I join her on the bed. We spend the next few hours pleasuring each other and relearning what we both like. She lays on my chest and we talk.

"I liked that, Lester. I will cut a bitch if you do that with anyone else. I will shoot you and cut you as well." I laugh and play with her hair.

"Stop talking like a crazy woman, Kitten. You know I am yours. Do you want to meet my family this weekend? Ric and Steph are going to Louisiana so they will not be there." She nods her head.

"I made Steph invite me to bowling tomorrow night with the kids. You can come if you want, Santos." I tickle her.

"Oh, I am back to being Santos, huh?" She flips us and pins me. Damn, that is hot.

"I like your last name, so sue me. Go to sleep. I have to get up in the morning to meet Steph in the gym. I want a puppy like hers. Research that for me, Santos." I grin and cuddle with her. Yes, ma'am.

 **Carlos POV**

"Papa, what are you doing here?" I was at Celia's house to pick up Joaquin, Mercedes and Reina. They had done their little security check with Babe and they were on their way to the cars. I was driving, Babe was driving and Lester was driving. I had to pick up Portia and Lester was picking up Elena; Cat was with him. Babe had Wyatt with her and all three of Celia's kids. She had won that argument.

"I am minding my business, Ricardo. Leave me alone." He is so funny. I hand a bag to Emilio and my father follows the transaction with his eyes, but tries to act nonchalant.

"I will see you when we return, Emilio." He smiles and waves at me. I turn and walk away, but I look back to see my father pounce on Emilio for the bag and a struggle ensues. Emilio wins and he takes a pie out of the bag and hands the bag to Papa. Papa looks into the bag and nods at him. They shake hands and Papa leaves.

They are ridiculous and they are the reason I have not had Babe since last night. She said she had to bake and avoided my advances. I get back into my car and we drive as a caravan to Portia and Elena's gated community to pick up Serafina, Liliana and Dante.

 **Stephanie POV**

"Chica, I can go to the door with you." Cat was so funny.

"That is okay, Cat." I walk up to the door and it flies open. I look at a little boy who could be a young Lester. He is seven years old and he is bouncing on his feet. His sister is standing next to him wearing a snow white tee shirt. Dante is wearing a men in black tee shirt. Liliana tries not to smile, but she is eight years old and she is clearly excited.

"Hola. I am to tell you two poison apple and galaxy. They nod at me and take my hands and pull me down the walk. Portia comes out behind them and waves at me hesitantly. I smile at her and listen to the kids' chatter. I introduce them to Cat and she shows them her gun. They ooh and aah at her and get into the car.

I walk across the street and knock on Elena's door. It is opened a crack and Serafina, who is six peeks out the door. I tell her the password which is onion and she comes outside. She likes Shrek. She takes my hand and tells me all about her day at school.

I take her to Carlos' car and she asks for some handcuffs. He says not until she is older and she gives me the puss n boots look. I tell her I will look for some in her size and teach her to use them safely and she says I am the bomb. Elena finally joins us and I wave at her and go back to my car. Woki wants to get one thing straight.

"Estefania, you are my favorite." I nod at him.

"Am I your favorite, too?" Of course.

"Woki, Sweetie, I like you a lot, but I cannot pick a favorite because I do not know your cousins that well yet. I will definitely always care about you and think that you are special, okay?" He grins at me.

"You can just tell me later, Estefania." His sisters chime in.

"Stop bugging Miss Fancy, Woki." Mercedes is so funny.

"Diana, our cousins are nice, too. You will like them." Reina is never to be left out.

"I am sure I will like them, Sweetie." We arrive at the bowling alley and get shoes for everyone.

The first problem happens when all of the kids want to be on my team. I suggest that we play the grown-ups against the kids and they cheer. We do trash talk and then we bowl. Carlos and Lester are useless because they stare at me and Cat the whole time. Portia and Elena observe us and try to gather intel for their mother and aunt. They are not subtle.

Whenever I sit down, though, Woki finds his way into my lap. "Estefania, you are so pretty and so is your friend. Abuela says that you are going to a trip. Will you bring me something back?" This kid is adorable.

"Yes, Woki. I will bring you something back. Will you promise not to go anywhere with a stranger and to use your panic button if you are scared?" He smiles and kisses my cheek.

"Si, Estefania! Thank you!" He runs away and Serafina comes up to me and stares at me. I stare back. She holds out her arms and I pick her up.

"So, can you shoot bullies?" Wow.

"We can try something else first, Sera. Who bullies you?" She sighs.

"There is this boy, Timothy at school and he is always touching my hair or my hand or something. I told him I will hurt him if he does not stop. That is why I need the handcuffs." Aww.

"Sera, maybe he wants to be your friend and he does not know how to ask you." She thinks about it.

"Well, he does ask me to play games with him when the other girls want to play house. I like to run and we play tag. He would be a good friend if he would leave my hair alone." She has the prettiest blonde and brown hair and it is curly, but not tight curls. She looks like a Latina Shirley Temple.

"Your hair is very beautiful, Sera. Maybe you can tell Timothy that you do not like him touching your hair because it is creepy and that you will be his friend. Then you can show him how to be a good friend to you. Boys do not know what to do sometimes." She smiles and hugs me.

"You are smart, Miss Stephanie. Okay, it is my turn now. Thanks for talking to me!" She jumps down and runs to the kids and takes her turn.

Dante inches his way over to me and stands in front of me. "Yes, Dante?" He beams a smile at me.

"Can you let me come to a sleepover at Tio Ric's?" Wow. He is serious. I look at Carlos and he winks at me and nods.

"Sure, Dante but it will have to be after next weekend. The other kids are invited, too." He turns and gives the girls a thumbs' up and they cheer. "Thank you! Woki is right, you are awesome!" He runs back to the kids.

Carlos sits next to me. "Babe, they love you." I watch them do their victory dances.

"I love them, too, Carlos." Wow. Cat clears her throat.

"Come on, Chica. We owe them ice cream and then we have to get them home on time. You know I coached them, right? They are so good at following directions!" She cracks up laughing. I like having her for a friend. I help the kids to the cars and feel good about tonight. It was fun even though the kids played me a little bit.


	25. Chapter 25

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

"We can do a fake girls' night out tonight for these FTAs at club Juicy. It is short notice, but I leave tomorrow for the weekend. I know that Lula and Connie would come with us. I want them to meet Cat anyway. Lester why are you glaring at me?" He continues to stare holes into my forehead and I look over at Cat. She is grinning.

"I get to meet them finally, Chica. This sounds like fun. When should we do it?" A throat clears.

"Babe, can I see you in my office for a moment?" I look around the conference room and none of the guys will meet my eyes. Okie Dokie. I nod and follow Carlos to his office.

He sits across from me all the way behind his desk and he takes a deep breath. "Stephanie, these 4 men are wanted by the FBI for rape and murder. They are cousins. One of their friends owns the club. I really do not think that this is a good idea. Please reconsider doing this. I am very concerned for your safety."

I know he is trying hard to be civil right now because he is clenching his jaw and he is fighting his blank face. I can work with this. Game face, Stephanie. I sent a text to Cat.

"Carlos, will you see me as an employee instead of your girlfriend, please? You know I have improved my skills and Cat definitely has skills. You know that we will have some guys in there with us. Are you saying that if I was not your woman I could do this? Cat will be the one taking point. We will not really be drinking if that is what you are worried about." He gets a little angry now.

"You said that you would not go to takedowns anymore, Stephanie." I smile at him.

"I am not doing the takedown. I am being a part of the distraction. If you send Cat in alone, she will just give off dangerous vibes or something. We are her buffer zone. We will be giggly and appear to be drunk. We will wear wires and I will be armed. Lula and Connie will have mace. So what is the verdict, Boss? Can I do this or what?" He has his blank face under control now.

"I don't want you hurt, Stephanie." Good, me either.

"I will be careful, Carlos." He gets up and leaves the office without another word. Okay.

Back in the conference room, things are pretty quiet. I look at Cat and she nods at me. I nod back. We are both dressed in silver today. I am wearing a wrap dress and Cat has a silver knee length skirt and a silver and white sweater that fits her like a second skin. We are both wearing knee boots with our hair pulled into loose buns. She wanted to dress alike. She is so funny.

Carlos clears his throat. "Gentlemen, we will set up for the op tonight. Santos, let Brown take point on this. We will reconvene at 1900 hours for a comm check and the last run through. Have a good day. Ladies, please let us know if the rest of your party agrees as soon as possible." He leaves the room and Lester follows him.

"Come along, Cat. We have to go to the bond's office. Ram, do you want us to pick up the files?" He just nods at me. Fine they all have to be so squeamish about this. Men!

In the car, Cat is quiet, too. "Do you think they doubt our skills or something, because that was just weird in there, Chica." I sigh.

"Nope, they love us and they cannot see us as separate than their women right now. They will be alright. We can use this, though. Angry boyfriends are also a good distraction." She grins at me.

"I like the way you think, Chica." We pick up juice and beef jerky and head into the office.

"Hey, White Girl! Who is this?" Lula is wearing a red skirt with a white blouse and a red sweater. She looked professional. I winked at Cat.

"This is Catalina. She works for Rangeman now and she wants to go out tonight. Are you ladies in?" Lula and Connie look at each other and then back at me.

"Girl, I am loving this outfit you are rockin. Are you dating a Rangeman, too? I am starting to feel left out. Connie likes Ram, but she is too chickenshit to say something. What do you think, White Girl? Which one should I holler at?" Why is she stalling?

"I don't know, Lula. Are you sure you want to date a Rangeman?" She looks at me like I am crazy.

"Hell yes. Jenna from Saint Francis' told me all about how great it is to have a big strong man to date and I have seen your happy ass floating around for weeks! I know your new hot tomale friend has a Rangeman, too because she already got that glow. You need to hook a sister up!" I laugh and we snack on the beef jerky.

"I will think about it, Lula. Do you guys want to go out with us tonight? If you do, I need you to meet us at the building at 6:30pm." I give them a look and they straighten in their seats.

"Okay, White Girl, we are in. Now tell me all about Batman. Does he wear boxers or briefs? Inquiring minds want to know, Girlfriend." Cat laughs and we stay for a few more minutes and take the files.

Outside, Morelli is leaning against my car. I do not feel like dealing with him today. Cat just looks at me.

"Who the fuck is that, Chica?" I whisper to her.

"He is a detective with the police department, Cat. He is also a tiny dicked, hairy assed stalker that does not take a fucking hint. I want to shoot him really bad."

He gives me a look that he thinks is sexy. "Hello Cupcake. Who's your friend?" I stand far enough away from him that he cannot reach me.

Cat answers his question. "Why do you call her Cupcake? Are you hoping that she likes it because, it just seems to piss her off. Maybe you are trying to distract her from thinking about your baby penis. It's not working. She just told me you might as well be wearing underoos underneath that bad suit." Burn!

"As to who I am, Detective? I am Catalina Torres. I am sure that there was an update from your police chief on my presence in town. Step away from our vehicle before we are forced to make you." Wow. I love being her friend. She said all of that with a sort of smile on her face.

Morelli turns red, then purple, then white. It is a little fun to watch. Baby penis! I want to laugh and holding it in is killing me. After a minute, Morelli gives up and walks away. Good.

"After that, I need to spend some time at the range, Cat. Let's drop off these files so I can get in some practice with my gun." She nods and drives us back. We agreed to take turns. After an hour at the range, I go back to my office to find that Wyatt is not alone. Lester is sitting there. As soon as I sit down, Wyatt leaves.

"Yes. Lester?" He seems calmer than earlier, but just barely.

"Beautiful, I thought we were cool. Why are you doing this distraction tonight?" He looks like he has been coached.

"Lester, all I am doing is helping to create the illusion that Cat is part of a group of drunk girls and is an easy mark for the FTAs. You know she can handle herself. If you are going to be like this, then maybe she should not work here. Either that, or she could stop seeing you. No one is asking you not to do your job, are they?" He shakes his head no.

"Just recognize that she has skills and that she will have backup. I need to get these new files completed. I will see you at the comm check." He gets up and leaves. Wyatt comes back with our lunch which is salads and we get to work.

 **Ranger POV**

Lester came into my office and sat down. "Look, Cuz. I think that Beautiful is right. You know Cat has skills. I was blinded by my feelings for her, but she can definitely handle this. We will be their backup. Just stay calm, man." I hear what he is saying, but I still want to punch someone.

Tank refused to spar with me anymore today. He said he has a date later and he did not want to be limping. I trust Babe's intuition, but these are some serious bad guys. I guess we will have to have extra backup. I do not want anything to happen to my Babe. She is so stubborn! I needed to make up with her. Maybe after the op.

I waved Lester off and answered my ringing phone. "Yo." A chuckle was the response.

"Hello, Captain. How are you, today?" No. I am not doing it. Whatever he asks me to do.

"I am fine, General. How are things?" He sighs.

"Look, I need you to do a quick mission for me. It should be in and out and it will only take a week." Still no.

"General, you know I am not taking any more missions. I am devoting my time to running my business."

"Manoso, I know the real reason that you are not taking any more missions and she has pretty blue eyes. Now why don't you stop stonewalling me and ask about the fee or the location?" I want to hang up, but he will just call back.

"General, I do not want the mission. Why don't you call Williams? I am sure that he will do it for you." He chuckles again.

"Williams just got married and he told me to call you. Manoso, this will take a week and the fee is $1M. You would leave Sunday night. I will consider this a personal favor and the risk is minimal. What do you say?" I run my hand over my face and think. Fine.

"Send me the specs, I will leave at 0400 Monday morning and I want $2M." His booming laughter is all I hear before he hangs up. I really have to talk to Babe now.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I thought I really lucked out when I saw Cupcake's new car sitting outside the bonds office this morning. I waited for her to come out and it was like I hit the jackpot when she had a beautiful woman with her. I poured on the charm and that bitch insulted me!

I am sick and tired of being the butt of jokes around here. I do alright in bed and these women need to recognize. Most of them already spread their legs for me and now they suddenly want to earn brownie points with Cupcake by badmouthing me? I came back to the station to see the new bulletin about their takedown tonight at a nightclub. The Chief says that we are to stay out of the way on this takedown. Whatever. I would show them real police work and I would teach that bitch a lesson about making fun of me!

 **Stephanie POV**

We were dressed in what Lula calls our freakum dresses and we each had our wires on. Lula and Connie were not even scared when we told them about the FTAs. They said a creep was a creep. They were very thrilled to know that they could earn money for doing the distraction though. We were using our real names because people would recognize us anyway. At the comms check, the guys treated us professionally and we got assigned to have Hal as our driver. Cat approached Les before we left and I walked up to Carlos.

"Hey, are you alright?" He nods at me.

"Babe, after the op, I need to talk to you about something. It's important." Okay, he is not smiling at me.

"Sure, Ranger. No problem." He flinches because I do not really call him Ranger anymore. He is the one acting all distant with me. He had better not turn into a male chauvinist on me. I am not taking that crap again.

We drive to the club and enter like we are already drunk. Since the FTAs know the owner, they are already in the VIP section. Per the plan, we do shots and act like "Woo" girls and giggle and dance with each other. We work our way towards the VIP section and flirt with the bouncer there. One of the FTAs whispers into his ear and we are let inside.

Thug Number One grins at Cat and crooks his finger at her. She giggles and dances over to where he is seated and starts flirting with him. Connie goes over and tries to take him from Cat and they start pushing and shoving each other and then they are rolling around on the floor.

Cat straddles Connie and starts running her hands up and down Connie's breasts. Lula and I run over and join in and we must look like an orgy on the floor. The FTAs mysteriously get removed from the scene and we are signaled to get up off of the floor. We stand up and hug each other and dance around.

Our victory dance is short lived, however when at least a dozen cops burst into the club telling everyone that this is a bust and that we should all freeze. Since the guys already left except Hal and our fake bartender, Woody, we comply with the cops' orders and allow ourselves to be carted off with the rest of the patrons. The club had been pretty packed for a Thursday night, so we were placed into one of five vans and packed like sardines. The ride was uncomfortable because we were in restraints. Poor Lula looked like she was going to pass out.

 **Ranger POV**

We had just finished handing off the FTAs to our contact with the FBI, when I got an urgent call from Woody. "What?"

"Boss, you guys are needed with the lawyer at the TPD. There was a bust right after you left and the girls all got arrested as part of the full sweep. I think Morelli was in charge of the bust, Ranger." He is such a fucking asshat. He arrested my Babe!

"Fine, Woody. I will call Sawyer." I nod to Tank and Lester and tell them the story. I tell Tank to go ahead on his date and Lester and Bobby agree to meet me at the TPD.

I walk into the station and find that things are kind of hectic. I stroll right past all of the unhappy partygoers and into the office of the Chief. He looks pissed and he motions me to sit down.

"Hello, Chief Buchannan. What a coincidence that your Vice Detectives decided to have a bust on the night of my op for the FBI. We were fortunate that we had already apprehended our FTAs before this took place." He sits back and relaxes a little.

"Unfortunately, our four inside workers were among the sweep. I have my attorney on the way here, but I want them released. They are not criminals and they were not even drinking tonight. Both Torres and Plum have permits to carry concealed, so there are no grounds to hold them. If they were hurt, I will not be pleased. At all." He sighs.

"Look, Manoso. I know you gave us a heads up and I appreciate the professional courtesy. Let me call in Morelli so I can get this resolved. If he does not have satisfactory information, he is toast. This opens us up to ligitation and the City does not need this type of negative publicity. The mayor will not be in a forgiving mood." He makes a call and ten minutes later, Morelli comes swaggering into the office holding a stack of files.

"Hello, Chief. We made ten arrests for drug possession and some for carrying concealed, underage drinking, and we caught a flasher." I just glared at him.

"Morelli, weren't you aware of the FBI takedown that was slated to occur at the club tonight?" He smirks at me.

"Of course, Chief, but I got an anonymous tip that there would be drug dealers there tonight and I had to treat it as a priority." The Chief does not return the smile.

"Morelli, you disobeyed a direct order and you could have compromised the captures of four men wanted by the FBI. I want you to drop the nuisance charges you must have for Torres, Plum, Jackson and Rosolli immediately." Morelli jumps to his feet.

"They were carrying concealed and they refused to be booked! I have them under guard right now. If they are not booked, then they cannot call their lawyer. That one woman, Torres put down two uniformed cops that tried to frisk her. That is assaulting an officer, sir. Surely you are not going to bend the law for some new chick in town." He is an idiot.

The Chief turns a withering look on Morelli. "Detective Morelli, you should have done your research. Torres has a status of Untouchable just like Manoso does. You know that she along with the other three ladies were a part of the op tonight. I don't know what your malfunction is, but you were warned the last time you ignored the procedures for one of their takedowns and you cost the city money and blew up your car."

He gets louder. "You deliberately tried to ruin this op and the four men were wanted for murder. Your little power play could have seen those men still at large or caused them to hurt someone. You are now on suspension effective immediately. I would suggest that you see your union rep. Hand over all paperwork on tonight to Costanza. I will take your gun, car keys and badge." Morelli slams his hands on the desk.

"What? I made good arrests tonight and because Manoso came running to you about his fucking girlfriend, you want to make an example of me? How much is he paying you to look the other way on this?" Wow. I cannot believe he said that, let alone thought it.

"You may want to refrain from saying anything else that may make your suspension permanent, Morelli. I would advise you to lodge any grievances you have officially and you are more than welcome to pursue them. I can assure you that my reasons for suspending you are valid and I have followed the chain of command and updated your file along the way. Leave your badge, keys and gun and get out of my office."

Morelli threw his badge, gun and keys onto the desk and glared at the Chief and me before storming out of the office. Well, that was fun to watch. I stood up to leave and get the girls.

"Thank you, Chief. I will leave now, too. You have a good night."

I found the girls in a conference room waiting for me. Steph ran to me and kissed me and the other girls cheered.

"Come on, ladies. You are free to go. Are you alright, Lula?" She looked a little shaky.

"Yeah, Batman, I am cool. Just get me out of here. I need a freaking shower." I escorted them from the building to the waiting cars.

 **Stephanie POV**

After a shower, I walked to the kitchen for a snack and a drink. Carlos was in the living room waiting for me.

"What's wrong, Ricky?" He pulled me into his lap and held me.

"Babe, I have a mission to go to and I leave early Monday morning. I should only be gone a week. I cannot have contact with you during that time. There is a 95% chance of success, so I am sure that I will return home to you. What do you think?"

I felt like I had tunnel vision and sounds were distorted. I think I dropped my water bottle and I could hear Carlos saying my name over and over, but I could not answer him.

I was staring at the floor and taking deep breaths when I came back to my senses. I could feel Carlos' hand on my neck.

"Babe, do you need me to get Bobby?" I sat up slowly and leaned against him.

"No, I need you to make love to me, Carlos. I don't want to think about you going away and possibly not coming back." I got up and walked to the bedroom where I stripped and sent Max to the living room.

Carlos sat on the bed and I attacked him with kisses all over his face and neck. "I love you, Carlos." My tongue came out to soothe the sting of the bite mark I made on his neck.

"Si, Babe, I love you, too." His hands were pinching my nipples and making them hard. I moaned loudly and felt myself getting wetter.

"Yes, Carlos. I want you. Take me, please!" He shoved me back onto the bed and covered my body with his. I used our lovemaking to go into Denial Land for a while and I lost track of my orgasms. I love this man so much.

"I adore you, Babe and I am sorry for being so stubborn earlier. I just worried that those men could have done something to you or that you could have been hurt. I should have trusted your instincts." Dammit, now I have to do the same about his mission. I sighed and cuddled with him.

"Carlos, I know you are one of the best at what you do, so I am going to trust you to come back to me. Unharmed, too, Carlos and I mean it." He chuckled at me and kissed my forehead.

"I will come home, Babe, I promise. Now did you pack for tomorrow?" I leaned up and kissed him deeply.

"Yes, love. Ella helped. I am ready for our trip." I got up and let Max into the room and I used the bathroom. I emerged wearing Carlos' tee shirt and Max jumped onto the bed, making Carlos laugh.

"Good job, Max, now move." He shoved the puppy off of him and I took Max's place.

"Promise me that you will be careful, Carlos." He stroked my hair.

"I promise, Stephanie. I did not resign my contract and I am doing this as a favor to the General. Now let's get some sleep, Babe." I settle next to him in sleep and try to calm my mind. I know he has gone on missions before, but I always thought of him as a superhero before. Now I think of him as a man—my man. I would just pray for the best.


	26. Chapter 26

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

I woke up early to take another shower and to get some tea to settle my stomach. So sue me, I am worried. All through our weekend away, I could not settle. It was beautiful there and the party atmosphere was contagious, but all I could think about was Carlos is leaving.

Well that and the calls I kept getting from Cat. She had to face the family without me there. I told her to say hello to my homie Emilio and to just talk to the kids. I said that she should tell the girls how close she already is with me and I made her promise not to blow up their cars. As a final piece of advice, I told her to bring up Lester's sister Micaela or his brother Benji.

I wish I could call Diesel. No sooner had I thought it, than he poofed in front of me. He looked me up and down and whistled. I blushed because I was only wearing my bra, panties, thigh high stockings and shoes. My hair was put up into a messy bun and I was leaning against the counter drinking tea.

It was 0300 and we had arrived back in Trenton at 2100 hours and we went straight to bed after Carlos packed. We made love over and over again and it was beautiful and tiring and passionate and a little desperate on my end. I completely love that man.

"Ahem." Diesel stops checking me out.

"What is wrong, Cutie?" I glare at him because I know that he knows.

"Fine, you know I will watch out for him. Stop worrying and be safe. I am getting some bad vibes from Morelli." I give him puppy eyes.

"I can't kill him, not even for you. I like the way you have embraced your life, Sweetie. Keep doing that. Now, I gotta go. Watch your back." He popped away again and I heard Carlos behind me.

"Estefania, que pasa?" He is still a little tired. I take out a bottle of cranberry juice and give it to him along with a spice muffin that I baked. Am I one of those women who cook when they are upset? It could be worse. I could also be one who eats all of the food she cooks.

"I just had a lot of energy, Carlos." He pulls me close to his body. He is wearing an army issued tee shirt and matching khaki cargos and his boots. He looks so fucking sexy. Geez, he already did me so much this weekend, I joked that my lady parts were cowering in fear.

We kissed and I let him hold me. "You broke another rule, Babe. I love the outfit you are almost wearing. What am I going to do with you?" I smile and run my fingers through his hair.

"I thought you could use your last few moments of sleep, Ricky." He bites my bottom lip and we kiss again.

"Let's review the rules again before I leave, Babe." I sigh and kiss his neck. He hands me a piece of paper. He is so funny. I read the rules.

Rule number one. No lying.

Rule number two. No cheating.

Rule number three, no leaving me alone in bed. Wake me up and tell me the situation.

Rule number four, carry your gun and wear your tracker at all times.

Rule number five, no calling other men sexy.

Rule number six, let me give you gifts.

Rule number seven. Always fight fair and do not run away.

Rule number eight. That is my pussy.

I smile and look up from reading the list. "Of course I remember, Carlos." He smiles and kisses me again.

"Listen, mi amor, my lawyer has all of the paperwork in case of emergency. Tank will be contacted and he has SOPs to follow. He is in charge while I am gone. Please take one of the guys with you when you go out until I return. That pendejo Morelli is not happy and I know he will try something. I love you with all of my heart, Stephanie. I will come home to you."

That did it. The tears I had been holding back started rolling down my cheeks. Carlos kissed them away and pulled me back to the bedroom. He grabbed a bright blue sweater dress and helped me into it as well as my boots. I put on my weapons and he helped me into my lined trench coat. He put on his jacket and grabbed his bags. I took a steadying breath and followed him to the roof.

"Promise me you will be careful, Babe." I smile at him.

"Of course, Carlos. Besides I have the kids this week and my sister is coming to town. Cat said if I get bored she can show me how to throw knives and I have meetings this week. I will let Ella do the marketing and the guys will walk Max. I will take someone with me when I leave out, I promise. I love you, Carlos."

He hugs me until the chopper lands and then he puts a box into my hand, kisses me passionately and runs to the chopper. I watch it fly away and stare at the box. I open it and there is an ankle bracelet that matches my infinity necklace and bracelet. I sit down and unzip my boot and put it on and zip it back up. I know it is another tracker, but it is the thought that counts.

When I return to the apartment, Cat is sitting at the breakfast bar eating a muffin. "Since you are dressed, we will skip the gym today. Do you want to complain about how much you miss him or do you want to be a good friend and listen to how things went for me with meeting Lester's mother, brother, sister and the rest of the cousins? Choose carefully, Chica." I laugh and hug her.

"Go ahead and tell me, Cat." She smiles at me.

"Well, they were already afraid of me and his mother was measuring me for a wedding gown with her eyes. When I said that I do not cook, she almost passed out. Lester told her that I am skilled like him and Ric and she crossed herself. She asked me about children and I said that I was on a pretty dependable birth control regimen." We howled laughing at this.

"His sister was quiet. I think Ric's sisters warned her. I did meet her little Dakota. She married a man named James Coleman. Chica, I was laughing on the inside so much. James was hanging with Emilio and I talked to him. He wished me good luck and said that Lester offered to kill him in his sleep if he fucked Micaela over. I said that was fair and he laughed. Emilio said to tell you hello and your little boyfriend, Woki said he loves you and he misses you and that he is doing what you said." I smiled thinking about Joaquin. I miss that little boy.

"Finally, Benji corners me and makes some comments about was I sure I had the right brother and all of that and I kneed him and poured my drink in his face. The kids were cool. It was all in good fun. Lester fucked my brains out when we got back, though. He said he was falling for me and that I was amazing. I feel the same way about him. Did you know his mother calls him Osito?" What?

"I thought you guys were waiting to have sex, Cat?" She cleared her throat.

"See, right. We were doing oral sex again and I turned into a freak and started begging in Spanish for him to mark me as his and to fuck me so hard that I screamed loud enough for all of the guys to hear and that I wanted to smell like his cum and it made him snap. We actually ripped those sheets. You just think that I am being supportive right now, Chica. I am hiding from Lester. You skipped over the teddy bear nickname, Chica. Keep up." I laugh at her and my phone rings.

"Hello?" There is panting.

"Beautiful, I woke up and my Kitten is gone. I called the control room and they said she is in your apartment. Is she upset or something? Why would she leave the bed without telling me? What did I do wrong?" I stare at the phone and glare at Cat. She shrugs and smiles.

"Les, calm down. Carlos left and Cat came to keep me company so I do not wallow in despair. We are having muffins and girl talk. I will see you at the morning meeting."

"Muffins? I am on my way!" He hung up. I just shook my head and got up to turn the oven back on. Fifteen minutes later, Lester, Bobby, Hector and Tank came in with Wyatt chasing them.

"Heyyy, Little Girl. Are you taking muffins out of the oven? They smell delicious. We would love some." Tank is not shy at all. I set them onto a plate and they attack.

"So, we wanted to tell you that we made a schedule of who gets to be your backup every day and tonight is our xbox night and we are having tacos with cookies that you can bake if you want to bring something." I smiled at Bobby. Hector gave me the raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I know that I owe you a pie, Hector." He makes the sign for two. He is charging me interest!

"Fine, you meanie. I will bring your pies to you after lunch. Now clear out!" Lester has grabbed Cat and is kissing her all over her face. She kisses him, and then pushes him out the door with the guys. When they leave, there are no muffins left. They are ruthless.

"Now, Chica. It is time to be proactive. Let us make a run before the meeting. We can take Hector with us. Hurry up!" What does she have planned?

 **Ranger POV**

It was hard to leave my Babe. I know that she worries, but I am good at what I do. Damn, she was so fucking beautiful standing in our kitchen baking with just her underclothes on and an apron. We had a great time away and we even left our room a few times to see the sights. One thing would lead to another and we would go rushing back.

There was the time at the dance club when she let me have her against the wall. It was dark and it was crowded, and her dress drove me crazy. She said she was mine and she would not say no. I found out that she meant it when she asked me to broaden her horizons and then she assumed the position. She said she trusted me and she wanted me to take her in every way. Dios! Sure, I took my time with her, but she was reading my mind and acting out all of my fantasies. My partner, Damian Little, or Demon was staring at me.

"What?" He smirked.

"Who was the skirt, Sombra?" I sometimes go by Shadow. Damian was a worse gossip than Babe's Burg.

"That was my Babe, Demon." He smiled a big smile.

"That was some kiss, Sombra." I glared at him, but it did not work.

"Look, I left my Kenya behind, so I know how you feel. I looked at the specs and we should be in and out, man. Stop being all extra lovesick."

I laughed. If only he knew. My Babe was a fucking freak and she loved her some me. I have the claw marks on my back to prove it. I have to stop thinking about her and focus. This was going to be a long week with my away from my heart. I meant it when I told her that I loved her completely. I just hope that she will be safe.

 **Stephanie POV**

We were creeping around Morelli's house, writing words on his lawn with weed killer and we had already put gay pride flags on his porch and on his bumper sticker to his truck. His lawn would say "I miss you Jo-Jo" like he had a stalker. Hector said he was not coming with us, but we came anyway. We were trying to hurry before he woke up.

Cat created a profile for him on a gay dating site and she put dog shit on his porch. I just laughed at her. She said that I had been too soft on him and that I had to keep people talking about him if I wanted him to really snap.

We drove away and it was time for the Tasty Pastry to open so we went inside to talk to Katrina. She said she would love to have a sale on cannoli and we took some churros to the guys. I sent Gram a text that Morelli was gay and to spread the word that he liked to receive and that the reason he got suspended from work was a fight with the chief. She called me and cackled laughing and said she was on it.

I decided to be magnanimous and stopped at my parent's house. We gave Ma and daddy some cannoli and I introduced her to Cat and told her that she was already dating Lester. Then I got to the point of my housecall.

"Hey Ma. Did you ever wonder about Morelli? I mean, he wears those tight jeans and he loves dancing and women say that he is not such a great date. Do you think that he is covering up his real lifestyle?" She crossed herself.

"I never thought about it, Stephanie." She leans forward and I give her what she wants.

"It's just, I mean I had not dated him and he was practically telling people that we were getting married. Who does that? Why did he need a wife so badly? Not to mention that I saw some rainbow flags at his house." She gasps and leans back in her seat. I wink at my dad. He snorts.

"Well, Stephanie, I had not heard anything about that but I guess it makes a kind of sense. I did hear that he lost his job. Did he really arrest you?" I nod at her and she hands me a cup of coffee.

"That is the thanks you get? You were doing a job! I am going to call Angie Morelli. This is ridiculous." I pat her shoulder.

"Ma, I do not need you to tell his mother on him. Just let people know that Rangeman was doing a job and the police chief knew about it. He had no reason to try to arrest me or Cat here. We have a lawyer, though, so we were alright. Well, we have to go to the meeting now. See you later." She hugs me.

"Valerie is going to be here tomorrow, Stephanie. Would you come to dinner?" I look at Cat and she nods.

"Okay, but I am bringing Cat, Lester, and Wyatt." She beams a smile at me.

"That is so wonderful! Those boys need a home cooked meal! They work so hard. I am calling Ella to see if she needs help with anything. See you tomorrow and if you could bring the wine, red, that would be great, Stephanie." She pushes us out the door and we drive back to the building.

In the garage, we are met with Lester and Wyatt. "Girls, I love you and you are skilled and all of that, but you are supposed to have backup when you are out of the building. We followed your trackers, though. Next time, you take one of us." This was from Lester as he confiscated the bakery box. Wyatt just glared at me.

"What?" He grins.

"Your mother called Ella. Am I really invited to dinner at her house tomorrow?" I nod and he hugs me.

"I like it here. The guys from Boston want to switch places with me, but I told them hell no. Brian said that unless I was doing a bad job or I wanted to leave, he could not make me move. Heh heh." I take his arm and we go to the stairs.

"Come along, Superstar. Let's get to the meeting."

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I decided to go out and get some donuts before my meeting with my union rep. It was some guy named Aaron Reineke. Whatever. I was still a little tired because I was up all night thinking about my career. Maybe I should transfer to Philly or up to New York. This town is getting on my nerves and Manoso has the department eating out of the palm of his hand. I was never going to get my proper respect out of these bitches as long as he was around.

I stepped out of the door and slipped and fell all the way down the porch steps. What the fuck? And what is that smell? Who the hell put dog shit on my porch? I go and get the hose and the bleach and I clean up the mess.

I take off my shoes and troop back into the house to change clothes. I am throwing this outfit away. I think some got into my hair. After another shower and a long time fixing my hair with gel of all things, I leave and drive my truck to the bakery. There is another sale and there is a long line. Edna makes a beeline for me when she sees me. This woman is a fucking stalker.

"Hey there, Jo Jo!" She changed what she calls me? I nod at her and she frowns.

"You know, you should have told me what was going on, Jo Jo. I could have helped. I know a lot of young men that are going through the same thing as you are." She pats my arm.

Wow. She understands. "Thank you, Edna. It is hard getting people to understand. I was just thinking that I should transfer to another city and that maybe things will be easier there." She smiles at me.

"Jo Jo, if that will make you happy, well then you have my support. I want you to know that there are quite a few young men such as yourself that you can turn to. I can give you a few numbers to call. I am sure that they would love to talk to you." Wow. She found me a support group? Edna is alright. I take the paper after she writes some names down and it is almost my turn in line.

Edna tells Katrina that my cannoli should be free today because I have enough to worry about. I smile. Katrina agrees and says that there was no use rubbing it in. Whatever that meant. Things are looking up for me.

In the car on the way to the meeting, I call Steve Marshall, who is the first name on the list. He answers singing a song and I have to wait for a pause in the lyrics to get his attention.

"Hello, this is Joe and Miss Edna gave me this number. Are you Steve?"

"Hey, there, Jo Jo. Edna is a doll for being so supportive. This is Steve. So how long have you known?" Wow, he knows about the Chief taking bribes?

"I have suspected ever since Manoso came to town, but I really just got confirmation the other night when I was in the office with him and the Chief, you know? That feeling just hit me and I have to trust my instincts." He hummed.

"Well, Ranger is a force to be reckoned with. I am so heartbroken that he is with that Stephanie Plum."

"Me too. She does not belong with him." He chuckles.

"Ain't that the truth! Well, Jo Jo, we should meet up for some coffee or something. I like how you think. So do you want to try to give or to receive? Probably receive, huh? I heard women talking about your size. Do not worry! We can work around that." I was distracted by parking. What was he mumbling about?

"Sure whatever you say, Steve. I am willing to try new things and who does not like to receive?" He laughed and we set up a time to meet at Starbucks later today. He seemed nice and it sounds like he has a date for me.

My union rep was a dick. He was obviously on the Chief's side. He pointed out all of the incidents in my file and that I was getting a reputation for having a short temper and that the car blowing up plus the night club bust made it seem like I had a vendetta against Rangeman.

He said that the cops have a good relationship with Rangeman and I could endanger it. Finally, the little brown nosing asswipe suggested that I take anger management classes and that I make a statement of apology to the Chief for accusing him of being a crooked cop. Well he was really not on my side.

I signed some paperwork and asked him about transfer papers. He handed me a packet and told me to seriously consider things and that I had a week to apologize to Manoso, because he was out of town for a week. Things just got better for me.

I shook his sweaty hand and went back to the florist. I placed another order for Cupcake and wrote the card. I said that I have had time to think and that she did not belong with Manoso and that she should give me a chance. I had them to deliver roses to her and I signed Jo Jo. I liked it. It was catchy.

At Starbucks, I sat and drank my coffee and ate the cannoli I brought in with me. If they had a problem with it, then tough shit. Ten minutes later, a guy comes in and he has blonde hair and a muscular build. He is 6'2" and he is smiling a huge smile.

"Hello, are you Jo Jo?" He waves at me, He has the same kind of jeans as I do. I like him already. I nod and he sits down with his muffin and coffee.

"I am so glad that you showed up and did not get cold feet, Jo Jo." I grin. I am not afraid to meet new people.

"It is good to meet you, Steve. Now I missed some of what you were saying on the phone because I was parking. Do you really think you have someone that would be interested in dating me?" He giggles. And drinks his coffee.

"I think that Andy will just love you. Yes, you are exactly Andy's type. I will never understand having an Italian fetish, but that is Andy for you." I smile. Wow. I am her type. I could juggle her and Cupcake. It would be the week of me!

We sit and talk about my blind date tonight with Andy and I ask if Steve thinks I should bring flowers. He tsks. "No, honey. Take some condoms and lube, okay!" Wow, he knew this Andy better than me, so I just smiled and nodded.

"Thanks for the hookup, Steve." He waves me off.

"Listen, Jo Jo. I want to ask you about your friend Stephanie Plum. Do you think she would like to go shoe shopping with me?" Now there is an idea. If I send Steve shopping with Cupcake, he could talk me up. Great.

"Yes, just call her at work. Tell her about me, okay?" He smiles.

"Are you sure, Jo Jo?" I nod.

"Yes, you can even tell her about my date tonight with Andy. I want her to know." He laughs and winks at me. We shake hands and he gives me a once over and says he likes my hair and we leave. That was so nice. Now, what would I wear tonight on my date? I need to stop at Pleasure Treasures for some lube.

 **Stephanie POV**

I got a call from Jack in the lobby that I had a flower delivery and did I want to read the note and that I also had a visitor. I took Wyatt with me and we went to the lobby. There was a guy that was very handsome and he was flirting with Jack. Jack was smiling, but shaking his head.

"Listen that is just not my scene, Steve. Here is Stephanie. Thanks for agreeing to the search." Steve smiled.

"Honey, next time, I am bringing me a weapon just so you can get rough with me. You are a star. Hey there Sweet Thing! You are so adorable, and those boots are gonna get you some. Turn around for me." I spin around and he makes approving sounds.

"MmmHmm. You need a little more booty, girlfriend. These men must make you drop and give them twenty all the time." I giggle and nod. He is adorable, too.

"So I am here to invite you shoe shopping. My new friend Jo Jo suggested that you would like it. Also, he wanted me to tell you that he is in the life now. He said it was okay for you to know and that he has a date with my homie Andy tonight. He is bringing the condoms and the lube. He did not even seem skittish like most first timers. I am proud of him for taking this step."

I just blink at him, and then I howl laughing and fall on the floor. I literally roll around and when I calm down, Cat is talking to Steve.

"Yes, we will go with you after work. What is with these flowers, Chica? Is he after Ric?" I read the card and fall on the floor again. Oh, I love my grandmother!

Steve just shakes his head. "It seems that Jo Jo has a little crush on your man, Sweet Thing. You better put that on lockdown. Jo Jo has a nice ass." I giggle some more. Wyatt and Jack are laughing, too.

"Steve, honey. My man loves only me and he proves it all the time. I know you see my jewelry." He elbows me playfully.

"Bitch and you are almost limping today and so is Miss Alley Cat. I want a Rangeman, too, damn!"

I giggle and we exchange numbers. He asks can Jack come to our shopping trip and Jack says he has a girlfriend. Steve just air kisses him and leaves. Oh, I am buying Gram a new thong for this one. She got Joe to go on a blind date with a man!

I had to get this on video. I texted Steve and he said they were going to freaking Applebee's because the game was on tonight and that they would leave from there. I had a deal to make with my homie Hector. I was going to be his house elf one day if this kept up.

I pulled Cat with me and we called Connie, Lula and Mary Lou. The girls loved our revenge and Mary Lou said she was spreading the word about my flowers that basically said I needed to leave Ranger alone and let Morelli have a chance with him. Whoo! This was so much fun.

Hector agreed for a cake on Mondays, he still wanted his pie on Fridays and he wanted to come shoe shopping. He gave comms to Hal and Brett and they said they would hang at Applebee's and get the date on video. After that, I went back to work.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I was almost finished getting ready when my phone rang. I was surprised that Ma took this long to call me with me being on suspension and all.

"Hello, Ma." She sniffed.

"Joey, I heard." I sighed.

"Ma, things will be alright. I have been thinking for a while about making some changes and this just gives me the opportunity to do that. I know that means I won't be around to see you as much, but I have to live my life. I think I will be happier by doing this." She sniffs again. She is so emotional.

"Okay, Joey. If that makes you happy, I will support you. Have a nice time on your date tonight and maybe think about bringing this Andy over to meet me if things go well." Wasn't that great? No nagging. Wow.

"Okay, Ma. I will let you know. I gotta go now." I left the house and drove to the restaurant. We agreed to meet at the bar, so I sat there and ordered appetizers and a beer and watched the game.

A guy sat next to me and placed his order and he got a beer, too. Andy was late. Where was she? The guy spoke to me.

"Hello. Have you been waiting long?" Even he can tell that I have been stood up. I smile. Fuck it. The food is good and the game is on.

"Just long enough to feel stood up. I am Jo Jo." I really like this new nickname. He holds out his hand.

"I am Drew. So, let's just order and watch the game. You seem like a fun guy."

We talk sports for a while and I have three more beers. We talked about everything. He totally understood my problem with Manoso. He said that all the good ones were usually taken. He told me that it was good that I was moving on from my crush. He did not know about the flowers.

After dinner, I was a little wobbly. Drew told me that I should not drive and that he took a cab here. I let him drive me home and he helped me into the house and up to my room. Things were so spinny that I know I flopped down on the bed. I vaguely remember him saying that he was leaving and that he would call me. Cool.

In the morning, I woke up feeling like death warmed over. I rolled over and saw a note. It must be from Drew. It read: "Jo Jo I had a great time with you and I like your eyes. Next time, I won't let you drink so much so we can explore the condoms and that lube you bought. Just FYI, I do not have sex on the first date, but I appreciate the compliment. I left you some Tylenol on the bedside table with some water. I will call you later. I love your flags outside. Kisses, Andrew."

I read the note two more times. Andrew? Oh my god. Did I go on a date with Drew who was really Andy? What flags? Did he kiss me? What was going on? I took the Tylenol and went back to bed. I cannot possibly face today. My phone rang making me whimper. Damn, my head hurts.

"Hello?" I voice I always wanted to hear greets me.

"Good morning, Jo Jo, this is Stephanie. Am I calling at a bad time?" Why is Cupcake calling me?

"No, how are you today, Cupcake?" She sighs.

"I should have known when you insisted on calling me Cupcake that there was more to it than a reference to that time at the bakery. Look, I just wanted to call and say that since you went on a date last night with Andy, you can stop trying to get Carlos away from me. I love him and I will fight you for him." What?!

"I am not after your boyfriend, Cupcake!" She sighs.

"There is no need to get all huffy. You told me that he did not belong with me. You sent me threatening flowers. Just leave us alone, Jo Jo. We are happy and he does not like men sexually. I am glad that you came out, but not every man wants you. Nice flags, by the way. Okay. Bye." She hung up before I could deny anything.

I storm into the bathroom and stare at my reflection in the mirror. Did I look gay? Steve had said he liked my hair. Was he gay? How can you tell? I am going to kill whoever put gay flags up at my house. I did not even notice them. I know that if Cupcake believes this shit, then so does my mother. No wonder she was acting all strange and not nagging me yesterday. I hate my life right now. So much for the week of me.

 _ **A/N: I am not against gays, just Morelli and whatever embarrasses him is funny to me. Thanks for reading and I welcome all feedback.**_


	27. Chapter 27

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

 **Stephanie POV**

I stared out at the city as the sun rose and marveled at the peace that I felt. I know that Carlos left just yesterday, but it feels like longer. Last night was nightmare free but I do not remain optimistic that it will continue. Maybe it will. Maybe I am exorcizing my demons by tormenting Morelli. Who knows?

All I know is that I miss Carlos. I woke up holding his pillow with Max whining at me. My body missed his sneak attacks and I spent an extra ten minutes in the shower waiting for him to pounce before I realized that he was not here.

What kind of day would today be? I have meetings all day and dinner at my parent's house. At least the kids were coming over tomorrow night. They were always fun.

Shopping with Steve and Cat had been so much fun and Steve had like no filter. He said whatever he was thinking and he had traumatized quite a few shoppers while regaling us of his latest bad dates.

We hollered laughing when Steve got pictures of Morelli and I promised them that I would call him this morning. Fine. I make the call and tell him that he had better leave my boyfriend alone. He sounded out of it and it was a little funny. I just miss my man.

"Stop it, Chica, because I will not hide my relationship this week to spare your feelings. You know that Ric is alright. Now, come on. They guys were running around looking for you. I do not know why Manny wanted to check your closet so badly, but I kept them away from your things. I also reminded them that it was Ric's apartment. I saved you a cinnamon bun. Ella is a wonderful saintly woman and I am glad that she is related to Lester."

I smiled and hugged her. We were dressed alike again in teal and black. She said the guys dressed alike so we should too. I was wearing a teal v necked thin sweater with a black wrap skirt and she was wearing a teal button down stretchy shirt with a black leather jacket and a black cargo skirt. We both had on knee boots that had heels and our hair was in ponytails. I linked arms with her and let her lead me to the staircase.

When we stepped onto the fifth floor, Bobby grabbed me and hugged me. "Were you gonna jump or something, Bomber?" Again with this nickname? I have a couple of cars blow up and I am Bomber or Bombshell? I smile at his concerned face and shake my head.

"No, Bob. I was just watching the sunrise, now where is my cinnamon bun?" They all look away.

"Angelita, it is gone, just like you were. The next time you disappear on me, I will cut you. Be a good girl and stop making us crazy. Tank was hyperventilating because all of your trackers said you were here but we could not find you. He called the company that makes the trackers and snapped on them. We are getting upgrades now. Thank you for that. Here is some coffee." What? They ate my cinnamon bun? Those fuckers! I stomp into the conference room and sit down in my seat and mope. I cannot believe they ate my cinnamon bun! Tank comes in and clears his throat.

"Little Girl, stop making me crazy. First you make us line dance with you until we are too tired to move and then you pull a Houdini. Behave or I will handcuff you to someone and not in the good way. Do you get me?"

He looks all intimidating. His girlfriend must love to play good cop bad cop. All of these guys are so muscular and they were all sweaty earlier. I had escaped to the shower because all of the testosterone in the room drove me crazy. Please make him focus on someone else.

"Sure thing, Big Guy. I am kind of hungry, though. Can you help me out?" He backs away and I sigh. He turns back and sets a cinnamon bun in front of me.

"I love you!" He grins and then blanks his face.

"Behave, Little Girl and you will get treats." Why oh why does he have to talk like that? I zone out and eat my treat while they talk about sales and blah blah blah. Who cares? Oh! I have sales meetings. Dammit! I have to concentrate.

"Beautiful, who do you want in the sales meetings with you today?" I turn to Lester and admire his blonde hair and green eyes. He always has a smile on his face. He had a nice laugh, too. When we played xbox last night and I beat the racing game, he had laughed and it was a deep, throaty laugh. He had carried Cat away over his shoulder like a caveman. Mmmm.

"Chica, I will hurt you. Stop staring at my man like he is a side of beef."

Damn, now I am hungry again. What is wrong with me? I am like a sex machine or something. What is up with my hormones? This is all Carlos' fault! If he was here I would have had sex at least three times by now. He made me a nympho and now I crave him! Loud booming laughter snaps me out of my thoughts. Fuck me!

"I said all of that out loud, huh?" They all nod and grin at me. Well, shit. I stand and Wyatt stands with me.

"I will be in my office, guys. I want Hector and Wyatt in the meetings with me." I grab another cinnamon roll on my way out. I need this sugar, Dammit. Today was going to be a doosey.

 **Eddie Gazarra POV**

I love my job. I always wanted to be a cop, so to be able to work in my hometown was awesome. My job has taken a turn for the better lately, though. It all started when Stephanie Plum wanted to be a bounty hunter. She bungled through it and blew up cars and got shot at, but she did it.

As a result of it, we had Morelli reinstated, but Steph was in the hospital for like three weeks. I kept tabs on her and I even visited when her mother seemed like she was going to lose it. She had been nagging her while she was unconscious.

Poor Mrs. Plum. I knew she could get batshit crazy if you allowed the gossips to bug her enough. Lately, though it seems that she has gotten her shit together. She did need a hobby. Anyway, now I hear from my very own wife that Morelli went on a blind gay date last night. She said that she saw pictures and everything. Well, now I get to fix the pool.

Since Morelli could not control his hard on for Steph, he was making all kinds of mistakes and his latest folly got him suspended. He had barely been back a month and a half! I picked up the churros that Katrina made for us and put them out on the empty desk that we use for snacks.

I don't hate Morelli. The guy was kind of alright until he started sniffing around Steph. She does not need what he wants to offer her and I am glad that she is with Ranger now. He did not even blink when her last car blew up. I saw what she did to that Burrows chick and it was not a pretty picture.

I sidled up to Carl and give him a nod. He nods back and asks me what I have. I tell him about the gay date and he laughs while confirming that he will make a pool for it. I give him my $20 and walk away. Morelli had already made me money when he blew up his car and when he had not had a date in weeks. This was like taking candy from a baby.

 **Helen POV**

I was so excited right now. My oldest daughter and my two grandbabies were coming! I had told Frank that he could not go off on one of his little trips today and that he had to be at home. He had smiled and said that sometimes he liked it when I was bossy and then he dragged me back to our room. That man is so wild sometimes. I don't know what has gotten into him.

After Stephanie and that nice Catalina woman had left yesterday, my phone had rung almost off the hook. I had to work, so I told most of the callers that it was true that Stephanie had been arrested but it was a bad arrest and that Joseph should be ashamed to falsely accuse her like that after she had helped him out. I said that I did not know if he was a homosexual or not, but that I know what those flags mean.

I was turning over a new leaf. I refused to give out information about my daughter's relationship except to say that she wore some really nice jewelry that was real and looked expensive. I also confirmed that she was in great shape and that she had a new car to replace the one that horrible woman had blown up. What a day that was.

Anyway that was the latest news around town. Even my mother was behaving. She called me last night to say that she was taking a bus trip to Atlantic City with her girls and that she would see us later in the week and not to worry. I will worry anyway and I will pray for the poor people at whatever casino she goes to. I know that Mother is quite the character.

I heard the door and I raced to it to open it and I saw Valerie. She looked a little tired. Maybe we should go to Sak's. My little grandbabies run to me and I hug them.

"Granny!" I embrace Mary Alice. She is so wild and carefree. Just like Stephanie. Little Angie is more reserved, but she hugs me tightly.

"Hello girls. The house I found you is three streets over and it has three bedrooms so you can each have your own room. Also, there is a huge yard and I think you should get a puppy. I have wanted one and I have the address to the farm. I say that we eat some lunch and then I take you all out there to pick a puppy and I will choose one as well." I turn to Frank.

"Frank, please take their bags on over to the house. I have already unpacked most of the things you shipped, Valerie, so there are no worries and I am cooking dinner tonight. Just leave everything to me."

Valerie hugs me and I feel some tears on my shirt. My poor baby. That lying cheating scum! I have the number to a nice lawyer that Stephanie gave me. She said he is a partner to Rangeman's lawyer and that he is a shark. Good.

"Now, now, dear. Do not worry. This was not your fault. Go and wash your face and let's get you girls a nice puppy. Stephanie has one and he even stopped a purse thief!"

She smiled and nodded. I studied my oldest daughter. Valerie has such nice blonde hair. That is not her natural color, but it is well done. Well, it was maybe a month ago. Yes, we would go to Sak's. Maybe before dinner. It would be close, but I could leave her there and make Frank pick her up. Stephanie was bringing the wine, so it could work.

I called and made her an emergency appointment. It would be just what she needed. I was back in control and taking care of my family just like I love! First things first, I set out the soup and sandwiches for my girls. Frank winked at me as he left with their things. I blushed. That man!

At the farm an hour and a half later, the girls were running wild and playing with the puppies. I think Valerie will end up with two puppies. I loved this little black puppy that was following me around. I picked him up and he snuggled into my chest. Oh how precious! I will call him Hershey. I went to pay for him and to get all of his little supplies. I saw that Mary Alice had a tan puppy that she named Palomino or Pal for short and Angie had a brown puppy that she names Isaac or Zack for short.

Valerie just stood there quietly and smiled at the girls. Yes, she definitely needed the time at the spa. I shepherd the girls and the puppies to the car and I drive Val to Sak's and leave her there. She looks a little lost still, but they will take care of her. I drive the girls back to my house and we play with the puppies for a while before we wash our hands and start to bake cookies. I take Stephanie's and Ella's advice and play music while we stir the ingredients and we dance and have fun. They will be alright. I just needed to know why Mary Alice kept whinnying.

 **Valerie POV**

I did everything right and I still end up alone. How could he do that to me?! I am so glad that I moved 75% of our money to different accounts. It felt nice to have my mother say that it was not my fault. If Mother was right, then my new lawyer would make the lying cheating asswipe pay child support no matter where he ran off to. I had been thinking while these nice girls fussed over me. They told me to go back to my dark shades of brown and that they could do it in layers and that I would look fabulous.

The personal shoppers were so upbeat and pleasant. They had picked out some really simple outfits for me and I did prefer dresses to slacks. I loved the boots that they forced me to model. They even held up numbers. I felt no remorse for spending the money I got from Steve's secret account. He should have hidden it better. I paid for our first, last and security deposit on the house and our plane tickets and I even have money set aside for the girls' new wardrobes. We will be alright, but now I am just pissed.

I want revenge. A memory of Steph running down Morelli flashes into my thoughts and I smile. I would have to ask my dear sister what she thought I should do. I hope she will forgive me for being so consumed with my own life lately. I hardly kept in touch and I was not there for her when Dickie did her wrong. In truth, I was petrified that the same thing would happen to me and lo and behold it did. Anyway, I just want us to be close again like we were before she went to college. I will see her tonight, so I am crossing my fingers.

Ma was not her usual judgmental self today, either and I caught her flirting with daddy. Ew. Anyway, the mother I know would not have run around chasing a puppy. She would have been helping me to plan an ambush on some unsuspecting bachelors so that I would not be single anymore.

Now she was encouraging me to live alone and she said I could find work at the law firm where my lawyer was a partner. She said that it was as a secretary for their contracts lawyer, but that he was married and old enough to be my father, so it was not a hanky panky situation. Good.

I am going to need some time before I move on to another relationship. They spin me in the chair and I look amazing! My hair falls in dark chestnut brown waves. It is not the wild curls that Steph has but there is lots of body. I love it and I tell them so. I tip them and call Daddy to come and pick me up. I look hot in my rust colored wrap dress and brown knee boots. It was time for me to start a new chapter of my life. Look out world, Valerie Plum was on the loose.

 **Stephanie POV**

I need to be quarantined, really. Every meeting today started out calm until I would think of Carlos and then I would zone out a little or most embarrassingly, I moaned. I passed it off as being hungry and the meeting ended quickly. I was now rushing around the apartment after a shower and getting dressed. I had begged Wyatt to get the wine and sparkling cider for me.

My spies at the farm had let me know about the puppies so I had Hector getting them collars like Max's. Max was coming with us to dinner, too. I was wearing a dark green jersey dress that came to my knees and brown ankle boots and green and gold striped thick stockings and a gold trench coat that was the same length as the dress. My hair was loose just like Carlos liked it. Damn, I miss my man. I hope he is safe.

 **Ranger POV**

We had very good intel and right now Demon was helping me to catalogue the find at our first stop. It had been easy to overpower the men at this camp and we were leaving this cache for the DEA to pick up.

My thoughts strayed to my Babe. It had been a long day for me already and I missed her desperately. What she does to me! I was focused, but I could still tell you in minutes how long it has been since I felt her touch. She was my whole world it seemed. I sighed inwardly and put those thoughts out of my head.

We locked down the cargo and left while taking our prisoners with us in the moving van. We had five more of these stops to make this week before we could call the mission completed successfully. I touch the chain that I wear with the infinity symbol. It is the mate to the one I gave Babe.

Tank has my SAT phone info and he knows to call me if anything goes wrong with my Babe. I hope she is safe and that she is not driving the guys crazy. I love my woman, but even I know that she can be a handful. She has been on good behavior lately. It is the prime time for her to go a little crazy. And I am going to miss it. Good luck guys. Babe please don't break my men. I nod at Demon and we stop and unload our passengers.

 **Wyatt POV**

Today has been crazy. Everytime Steph zones out, she would moan or flip her hair or get this sexy look on her face. The clients were all gung ho to sign with us to have her as their rep. I have stayed close to her to guard her from the guys.

At lunch time, I had to glare at Manny and Ram. She moaned her way through Ella's minestrone soup and cornbread. She licked her lips so much! It was a difficult thing to get through. Geez. A lesser man would be all over her, damn the killing that would take place.

I finally just asked Steph what the deal was. She told me that she needed sugar or she will jump one of us, so I had Ella bake her some oatmeal muffins and she put honey on top of them. Steph inhaled them. I gave them to her one per hour. She would get this dopey grin on her face. She is so sexy and so off limits.

I picked up her wine and her sparkling cider. I also rendezvoused with Hector and picked up the collars. They were in little gift wrapped bags. I thanked him and he just patted me on the back.

"You have a hard week ahead of you, Spinelli. Do something about that hard on or you will be meeting me and Tank on the mats. Do you want to be replaced?" He was so fucking scary! I backed away from him.

"No, Hector! I am doing my best, man!" He just nodded and walked away. I met Steph at her car and waved at Lester and Cat. She was another one, but she was all over Lester. Tonight she was dressed in a blue dress with blue boots and her black trench coat.

I remember when work was all about just the guys and no one ever talked and we all wore black and we sometimes got shot at. Now we have different uniforms and we had these two beautiful women working here and the food is even better. I need a woman!

At Steph's mother's house, we got out and she carried the gifts and I carried the wine. Her mother is waiting at the door and hugs her and welcomes us inside. I step inside and we all take off our coats. I am in a long sleeved dark brown button down shirt and matching jeans with my boots. Les is wearing the same, but in blue. He matches Cat. That is nice.

"Wyatt, this is my sister, Valerie and her daughters Mary Alice and Angie."

I hear Steph keep talking, but I am mesmerized by her sister. She has two kids? She has a nice figure and I love her hair and those boots! She has to shop where Steph shops. Wow! Is she married or what? I tried to remember what Steph mumbled about all day. No, her sister was getting a divorce. Lucky me. I hand the wine to Steph after she hands out the gifts which makes her mother and nieces squeal.

I reach out to shake Valerie's hand. "Hello, Valerie. I love your dress. You look amazing. If you are anything like your sister, I would love to be friends with you." She blushes and she looks even prettier.

"Down boy. Valerie, come into the kitchen with me to open the wine." Dammit, why is Steph such a cock blocker?

 **Stephanie POV**

"Val, go easy. Wyatt is a good guy, but you need to handle your business first. So you look great! I like your hair that way. How are you feeling?" She smiles and drinks a sip of wine.

"Actually, I am hoping that you know of a good way for me to get revenge on the asshole. I gave him eleven years of my life, goddamit and I deserve better than that!" Wow. Go, Val. Angie is 9 and Mary Alice is 8. That makes Val 29. She did get married right out of high school. At the time it had horrified me.

"Val, at least you got your kids. How are you for money and a job? Did Ma tell you about Sawyer and Hayes?" She nodded and sipped her wine again.

"Yes, yes. I am alright there. Now tell me about revenge." I giggled and told her that we could brainstorm later and that we should get out there. She promised not to date Wyatt until her divorce was final.

My mother was showing her puppy to the guys and Cat and Max was making new friends. Hershey, Zack and Pal loved Max and they looked cute with their little collars. Once the puppies were fed, we all sat down for my mother's vegetable lasagna and salad. She said that she talked to Ella to see what we would like. It was nice that she tried to be thoughtful like that.

Ma told Valerie what she missed and all about Morelli. Mary Alice talked to Wyatt about horses and Angie asked Cat if she could do flips. Cat nodded and offered to show her. I took a deep breath and offered the girls to join the sleepover tomorrow with Joaquin and the kids and they hugged me and begged Val. I told her that she could use the time to get settled and Wyatt offered to come over and help her do a security walk through. Ma flirted with Daddy and Les fed Cat.

Dessert was called dirt dessert. It was crumbled cookies and pudding and cake and it looked like a mess but it was delicious. I polished off two helpings and I could finally think clearly. Whew. I looked around the table and Lester looked pained and Wyatt was gripping his silverware tightly. What was their deal.

"Stephanie, I will put some of this dessert into a container for you since you enjoyed it so much."

Wow. I must have moaned again. The guys had played it for me and I sounded like I was having sex. How very mortifying. My dad had to hear that! Wyatt just shook his head. I know he is thinking that he cannot take me anywhere. I smile weakly and tell my mother that would be great. I have no illusions that I will be allowed to keep the dessert. It looked like I was haunting the gym tonight. Damn, I miss my man.

We hugged everyone on our way out the door and Max barked goodbye to his peeps and we left. I think that dinner was a success. I saw Wyatt get my sister's number, too. I trust him and he knows about the girls, so he needs to tread carefully. I made it to the sixth floor and Luis took my container from me for research he said. I was telling Ella on him.

I changed into sweats and went right to the gym. I did eight miles before I felt like I was going to lose my dinner and I flopped down on the mats and let my thoughts swirl. I was going to have a serious talk with Carlos when he came back. How dare he take a mission when I needed him here! How dare he leave me all alone here! I had five more days until he comes home. What was I going to do?

I hate feeling like a weakling, so I got up and waved at the cameras and took the elevator back to our apartment and took a shower. I would distract myself by plotting revenge for Valerie. I made coffee and grabbed a legal pad. I picked out a movie from the shelf. Big Fat Liar. The cheating asswipe would never see me coming. Just like Joe. Heh heh. I was going to need something sweet. I grabbed a muffin that Ella baked for me and got to work.


	28. Chapter 28

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

After yet another night without my Babe in my arms and listening to Damian's snores, we headed to meet our contact at this street fair. The only reason I agreed to this location was for the churros that I was eating as a part of my cover. I would not admit to Demon that they reminded me of Stephanie. He was playing dominos at a table next to me, but against someone else and the conversations were all in Spanish.

A woman sat next to me and she was wearing a bright orange sundress with espadrilles and her wild black hair was flowing down her back. Demon gave me the raised eyebrow and I just ignored him. She was pretty, but she had nothing on my Babe. She had better be following my rules.

"Hola, you look like a man that knows what he wants." Fine, she was our contact and now I had to flirt with her as a part of the cover.

"I like sweet things, Bonita. Tell me where I can find all I desire." She was to tell us where the next cache of contraband was. I was giving her eye contact and eating my churros. I wonder what Babe is wearing today. She leaned in closer and took it from me and licked it. How dare she!

"I can give you what you need, Baby. Meet me at this address tonight. I will rock your world." Great, there would be explosives. This is just what I need. I nodded at her pocketed the paper and she walked away with my churros. Whatever. I did not want any more after she licked it.

I finished my game and drank my bottled water and left. Demon met me at the car and we went back to our hotel to start to pack and change for tonight. When I told him about the explosives he swore. We would just have to be careful. I miss my woman so much, but I will keep my promise to come home to her. Three more days after tonight's drama. All I can think is that I am getting too old for this mierda.

 **Stephanie POV**

The guys had helped me to get the rec room ready for the kids. I cannot believe I am having eight little kids over. I was waiting at the loading dock for them. Joaquin, Mercedes and Reina came first and they ran up to me and tackled me to the ground with hugs.

"What am I, chopped liver over here? I am a fun person, too! I get no respect from the ninos!" Cat was complaining and the kids laughed and hugged her, too. Next, Elena showed up with Serafina, who ran to me and yelled, "Tia!" Wow. They really adopted me.

"She is not our Tia yet, Sera. Wait until Tio Ric gives her a big ring, first." Liliana was nagging her and pulling Dante along. They were so adorable and I loved them already. Woki was holding my hand. I guess he claimed dibs.

I waved to Elena, Portia and Celia and they added the bags to the cart I brought out with me. Ella trained me well. I accepted all of the lists of emergency numbers with a smile. Wyatt took them from me and said he would update the computers. The guys were excited, too.

"Kids, we are waiting for Mary Alice and Angie. They are my nieces and they are joining us." They all gasped and Woki reached out for me to pick him up.

"Estefania, will they like us?" I kissed his forehead and the other kids looked affronted, so I kissed their foreheads too and then we were cool again.

"Yes, Woki. They want friends. They are new here and they used to live in California." My mother's car pulled up and Hector and Manny raced over to her so fast, it was like they had magical powers. When they stepped away from the car, they were carrying shopping bags. She baked for them! They are shameless.

Mary Alice and Angie had their puppies, Pal and Zack with them. They ran over to me and I hugged them as best as I could with Woki in my arms. The kids all clamored around each other and introduced themselves and pet the puppies. I set Woki down with a promise to return and I approached my mother.

"Stephanie, this is such a nice idea you had to turn it into a lunch party and then a sleepover. I gave the boys some things that I baked. I need to run, because I have a shift at the bookstore. Let me know if you need anything or tell Ella to call me. We are double dating with her and Luis tonight at a nice place her nephew owns. I am very excited to taste more Cuban dishes, Stephanie." That was nice.

"Valerie is doing a little better today and did you know that nice Wyatt boy invited her to mini golf? She needs to get out and the place is indoors anyway. Now get these babies inside out of this wind. See you later!" She said all of that in one breath and I turned to see Wyatt inching his way inside. He was hilarious.

I herded the kids into the building after they hugged their parents. Celia was the first one to take off. Since there were 8 kids, the guys let me use the apartment next to the rec room for them. It was on the fourth floor and it had 2 bedrooms, so it would be fine with the guys nearby the whole time. We dropped off their stuff and then we made tacos. Max and Pal and Zack were outside with Hal and the kids were eating.

Tank and Bobby came into the apartment and told me to leave because my meeting was in a half hour and I needed to change. I kissed all of the kids and left them with Tank and Bobby who wanted to play Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. They also had Uno cards. They were so serious about playing with the kids.

I raced back to my apartment and changed into a black skirt that came to my knees and a cream colored sweater that Ella still had time to embroider with the Rangeman logo. She must never sleep. Or she has pixie dust. I kept my makeup minimal and I wore my black boots. In the elevator, Cat go on at the sixth floor in a cream colored wrap dress and black boots. She cracks me up.

"Chica, these are bodyguarding contracts for the Snow Ball that is happeneing the week before Christmas at the Wiltshire Country Club. They sent three women to talk to you. Do you want me in there as backup?" Yup. I smiled and nodded at her.

"Good, because I traded with Wyatt. He took the afternoon off and he will take my monitor shift tonight so I can hang with you and the kids." That was a good trade, too. We entered the conference room after we grabbed our messenger bags to see three socialite types being entertained by Woody, Manny, and Rodriguez. Now, he comes out of hiding? He and I needed to talk about all of his emergency search requests. He looked at me and flinched. Heh heh.

"Ladies, hello. I am Stephanie Plum and this is my associate, Catalina Torres. I see the gentlemen have given you refreshments. How can Rangeman help to make your event a success?" The blonde woman wearing a designer green dress spoke up first.

"I am Felicity Barnes and I love those boots you both are wearing. Did you get them at Sak's?" Nope. We went shoe shopping at a secret location with Steve.

"No, we went someplace else, Felicity." She sighs and drinks her coffee.

"We want to hire you all for event security at our ball, but the guys were just telling us about the charity softball game coming up with the Policemen against the Rangemen. Do you need cheerleaders? Me and the girls used to cheer in highschool and college and we think it would be a hoot! We can also donate as well. We were looking for another charity." Is she serious?

"You don't need me to do my sales pitch for the Ball?" The brunette, who was eating chocolate cake moaned and spoke up.

"Honey, this cake is to die for! I know I am gonna need a new pair of panties before I leave. I am Becky Morgan and no. We already told Marco and Woody and Manuel that we would love to have Rangeman at our event. They said that they would love to have us at theirs. It is just win-win." She went back to her cake.

The redhead spoke up next. "Girl, I am Vivian Huntsley. Are you really seeing Ricardo Manoso and I wore this blue dress for nothing?" I laugh and so does Cat.

"Vivi, I told you he was taken! Mr. Casely told my daddy that he bought eternity jewelry and she is wearing it! I will not help you fight her, either. I just got my hair done and I think she has a gun. I am not a dumb blonde, okay!" I giggled at Felicity.

"Yes, Vivian, I am dating him and actually, we live together now." She sighs dramatically and takes out a notebook and makes some notes.

"Fine, take the dishy Cuban away from me. Who here is single? I need a date to the ball and someone to cheer for at the softball game." The guys all gave me puppy eyes and I smiled at Vivian.

"The guys in this room are single, Vivian." She squeals and grabs Woody and kisses him. He is shocked and he does not move.

"Thank you! I always wanted a cowboy!" Her friends look at her and shake their heads.

"We cannot take her anywhere. She needs a keeper. Maybe the Cowboy can tame her." Felicity drinks her coffee and stares at the chocolate cake that Becky is still eating.

"My Trent will just die when he meets all of the guys! He was in the ROTC but his daddy made him quit because he is his heir and all of that malarkey. That old fogey needs to calm it on down. I love when Trent dresses up in his fatigues. Oh wow! Give me that cake, Becky!" I giggle and cut Felicity her own cake before Becky smacks her. These girls were hilarious.

"Thank you, Stephanie. So, we will show the matrons that put us on this committee that we are a force to be reckoned with. They wanted us to fail! They said that Rangeman would not take the job and that we would be stuck with some weird rent-a-cops that were all stiff and boring. Here are the signed contracts. That nice Marco gave them to us before you came." She eats her cake and looks at her watch.

"We have to go to our waxing appointment and we cannot be late. Get off the Cowboy, Vivi. We have to go now." They all air kiss me and Vivian French kisses Woody. I give Becky a piece of cake to go and she hugs me again. She said she had been on a diet for more than a year. The poor girl. They left and Cat could not stop laughing.

"Chica, they were funny and we got the contract, cheerleaders for the softball game and you know we have to join in, and Woody made a love connection. We are awesome." I shook my head.

"Cat, the guys had already made those arrangements. We could have skipped this meeting."

"I like it my way better. Now let's handle the paperwork so we can get back to the ninos." Just then, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I heard giggles.

"Diana, you have to come and see Tank and Bobby! They played dress up with us!" The phone is taken away and I hear Mary Alice next.

"Auntie Steph, they are so fun. Do you really have a guy here that rides horses?" I grin.

"Yes, Mary Alice. His name is Woody. You can call him. I will be up there soon. Be good, now."

"Oh, right. We were also calling you because we were playing hide and seek and we cannot find Woki." What?! I stand up and race to the control room to have them run back the camera footage.

"I will call you back. Mary Alice." I run the footage of the hallway outside of the apartment where the kids were and I see Woki and the girls and Dante running around and all of them go back to the apartment, but Woki, who gets onto the elevator by hiding in Ella's cart. Ella took the cart back to her apartment. I sigh in relief and call her.

She answers already talking to me. "Does this mean that Woki won the hide and seek game, Stephanie?" I feel the pressure leave my chest. I almost lost my baby! Well, Celia's baby. Whatever.

"Yes, Ella. Tell him that he won and would you please make him promise to stay with the other kids." She giggles at me.

"Of course. He has been helping me with the snacks. We will take them down to the kids now. I took pictures of Tank and Bobby. They are adorable." We hang up and I go back to my office. These kids were going to be the death of me.

I sat back at my desk and reviewed the care package that we were sending to Steve. The dummy still had a P.O. Box that he thought no one knew about. Heh heh. We sent him Bulgari cologne, shampoo and body wash. Only the cologne was real and it was a fake out. The body wash would turn his skin blue and the shampoo would dye his hair red. He would look like a clown and that was just our first delivery. We would be messing with him for a while. That made me wonder how Morelli was doing. I do not miss him at all.

 **Joe Morelli POV**

It has been a day since I woke up from my date with Andrew and I have been thinking. Why would he think I was gay? I have gone to the gym and to the range at Sunny's to get my shooting time in. I have my own personal piece that I have been using for a year now. If the Chief really thought he was leaving me helpless, he had another think coming. I was almost finished my clip when my phone rang. I let it go to voicemail and it was not until I was in the car that I remembered it.

I played the message and it was Andrew inviting me to a poker game tonight with him and his friends. He said I could bring some snacks if I wanted and it would be fun. I debated with myself. If I went, does that mean that I am gay? This was really bugging me, so I went to see my mother. I know, voluntarily. I had barely set foot into the house when she was all over me.

"Joey, tell me all about your date. I heard that he drove you home, but he did not stay the night. Why would you drink so much on the first date, Joey?" Well, she already knows what happened.

"Ma, nothing happened. We ate and watched the game. It was not really a date. We just hung out." She stops ironing and waves me off.

"Nonsense. I heard he was adorable and I have been looking at some things on the internet. You can still get married! And you can adopt and I can have grandbabies that are already potty trained! When will you see him again? You have to let me meet him, Joey. All of this time, you have been holding this secret inside! I should have guessed! You spend so much time doing your hair."

What? Now she was going to plan my gay wedding? My mother was something else.

"Ma, I never said I was gay. I don't think that I am. I have always dated women. This is all just a big misunderstanding. I mean, I got this guy's number from Miss Edna and then he set up the blind date. I thought I was meeting a woman named Andrea or something." She stops smiling and glares at me.

"Do you take me for a fool or something, Joseph Anthony Morelli? I have seen the flags outside your home and the ones on your car bumper. I know what that means. I know about your crush on that nice Ranger! You went on a date and kissed the man and now you want to spurn him. I am this close to disowning you! You will not treat this Andrew like trash! You will be the nice Italian boy that I raised! Now tell me what the next date is."

My stomach hurts. I cannot believe this.

"Ma, he invited me to a poker game with his friends." She claps her hands.

"That is great, Joey. He wants his friends to approve of you. You will go and you will take some of my stuffed shells. I just baked some for you anyway. You will be polite and you will not bring up Mr. Manoso or talk about all of the women you tried to date. If I hear anything negative about this date, I will stop cooking for you for a month!" I think I can feel an ulcer coming on.

"And by the way, Joey, you are not moving away. No one in this town will care that you are dating a man. Most of the women that called me today were proud that you finally admitted your preferences. Helen Plum called and invited me to dinner tonight. She said we should learn to cook Cuban food and she is right. They have some wonderful desserts. She said it would be casual and that I was not going to be a fifth wheel. Wasn't that nice?"

Yes, and it sounds like she is being set up on a blind date of her own. That is just what she gets. I cannot wait to hear her wailing about being forced to entertain some old coot that Helen Plum dug up for her. Ha! I smiled at Ma getting her Karma and she took that as my giving in. Whatever. I would go and play poker. What was the worst that could happen?

 **Stephanie POV**

We had moved our dance party to the gym because more guys kept joining in. The kids had seen the Thriller video and they wanted to learn the dance and Hector and Manny were leading them around. It was cute. I sighed.

"Maybe we can tell their parents that they do not want to come home, Chica." I looked at Cat who was now dressed in black yoga pants and a silver tee shirt that said "Beat It" It was cute. My tee shirt said "PYT". We had come prepared.

"No, we cannot kidnap the kids, Cat." She hugged me with one arm as we watched Lester try to moonwalk.

"You want one, though, huh?" Hell yes.

"Yeah. I really do." She smiles at me.

"Okay, we will make a pact to get pregnant at the same time. We only have to go to two more family dinners before the mothers will have us engaged anyway. Maria called me today to ask if I liked ball gowns or shorter dresses and was I Catholic. I say, we do not fight it, Chica and maybe by next year, we will have ninos of our own. Think of the little clothes!"

I love Cat. We were on the same wavelength. My mother was not slick, either. I knew she was also hanging with Ana. Abuela Rosa had called me this morning and asked what my favorite flowers were and what was our song. I told her white and blue roses and that we did not have a song. She said nonsense and made me name all of the romantic songs that made me think of Carlos before she was satisfied and then she hung up.

After the dance party, we had dinner and we watched Shrek. The kids all went to the bathroom and the puppies had been walked. I told Cat that I would stay with the kids so she could have time with Lester and she said she would take them in the morning so I could do my gym time. She was a cool friend like that. I was just settling in to sleep between Woki and Dante when the phone rang.

It was Steve. The good Steve, not the asswipe that cheated on my sister. He was whispering.

"Honey, you will not believe what I just heard from Andy!" I sat up. This could only be about Morelli.

"What, Steve?" He took a deep breath.

"There is a third date planned and it is to the Amish country! Jo Jo even hinted about the Halloween Ball next week! Girl, I think this is a real connection and Andy is smitten do you hear me?" Oh wow. Did I accidentally make Morelli gay? Diesel popped in. "No, Sweetcheeks. He was always Bi." He popped away.

"Steve, that is great news! How did the date end?" He sighs.

"He met all of the guys and he was not standoffish or nervous. He helped us to clean up and said that his mother made the stuffed shells. Andy walked him to his car and we all watched out of the terrace, okay! They hugged and kissed really sweet. It was like a movie, Girl!" This is unbelievable.

"Thanks for calling, Steve. I will talk to you later." He hung up. I still do not know why he was whispering. Could this be happening? Does this mean that Morelli will leave me the freak alone now? I feel like breakdancing! Oh happy day!

 _ **A/N: I still have nothing against gays. I hope my writing is not offensive to anyone. Thanks for reading.**_


	29. Chapter 29

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

* * *

 **Helen POV**

I was having a good time at this Applebee's place with my little granddaughters. I had volunteered to take them shopping for their school uniforms and shoes while Valerie went for book bags and school supplies. After she finished her shopping, she would go and have lunch with that nice Wyatt boy and I could have Mary Alice and Angie with me. It was win-win.

Mary Alice had loved Chilton Day School because they had horses. Angie had liked it because her little friends Sera, Mercedes, Reina and Lily went there. It was a really prestigious day school and it was not in the Burg. Good. I want the best for my granddaughters and some of these schools were not up to par.

I was surprised when Ana mentioned it, but it was a stroke of genius. We would keep all of the kids together this way. Valerie was easy to convince especially when I told her that her husband would have to pay half. She had smiled a scary smile at that thought. She kept giggling about some email she got. I am glad that she is more relaxed now.

Both of my granddaughters now had necklaces like mine. Mary Alice's was of course a horse and Angie's was a book. They had squealed when Wyatt dropped them off this morning. He said that he had the morning and afternoon off because he was taking the late shift again. I asked him who would work with Stephanie and he laughed and said that all of the guys begged for his spot and he gave it to that nice Calvin.

He promised that Stephanie was mostly inside the building anyway except for her workout class. I calmed down. I didn't want her to be hurt or something and Carlos is still out of town. She was mainlining muffins according to Wyatt. What had gotten into that girl? Or not. Oh. I will not think those thoughts.

Think about the big plan, Helen! Ana had told me that Rosa was going to offer Stephanie her dress to wear! This was so exciting. Okay, I need to focus on the girls. They were talking about little Joaquin's birthday party. I think I will go to that. It will give me a chance to debut my coconut and rum cake. Hector and Manny said it was off the hook and Mother assured me that it meant great, so I feel really good about taking it to the party.

In fact, after lunch if the girls are not too tired, maybe we can take a ride to Target and shop for a gift for little Joaquin. I have seen the way he clings to Stephanie and she almost carries him around. He is doing most of my work for me. I love that little boy!

"Grandma, we need the restroom." I smiled at Angie. She was so serious sometimes, but she did smile when she played with her puppy.

Okay, no problem. We went to the bathroom and when we came out, there was a shifty looking man blocking our way. Did he work here? What was his deal? He pulled out a gun and I looked at the girls. They touched their necklaces and I touched mine, too.

I just had to stay calm. I stood in front of the girls and pushed them against the wall. I cannot believe this is happening! All I wanted was to bask in the glory of being a good grandmother! My phone rings and I answer it. The gun is still in my face, but it would be rude to ignore the call.

 **Stephanie POV**

Today was an okay day so far. I was currently at Zumba class with Cal and Isa. Cat said that she had a meeting with Hector to upgrade security again, especially since we used the roof so much and that she really did not want to go to the class. I laughed at her and now here I was sweating to the sultry sounds of some Beyoncé song.

All I know is that I want Carlos to be okay. The thought crosses my mind constantly. I am not having doubts about his skills, but I am missing him. It is throwing me off my game. Today, I only put up a token protest when my mother showed me some nice china patterns that would look lovely at a reception, or the wonderful app she found that would help to create a seating chart.

I had just smiled and nodded, but I did not miss the gleam in her eye. Cat was right. We were powerless against these plotting women. I think that I am willing to allow them their schemes because I love Carlos so much. If it was another Dickie situation, I would be protesting and probably drinking right now. Whew, this class is brutal!

When it was over, I went to the locker room with Isa and we talked.

"You act like a robot. What is wrong with you?" I sighed.

"Isa, your brother will not be back until Sunday. It is driving me crazy. That is why I agreed to work out with you today. I needed a distraction to get me through today, tomorrow and Saturday." She hugged me.

"You know he is the best. Stop worrying. Do you think that I should date a Rangeman?" My head snapped up at that thought.

"NO!" She giggled helplessly.

"Good. Me either. That was funny. I actually like this guy that I take Political Science class with. He is studying to be an engineer with his dad's firm. His name is Nick Young." Uh oh.

"Isa, he does not sound Latin." She giggles again.

"He is mixed. Black and Puerto Rican. His full name is Nicolas Antonio Young. Go ahead and run his background. He is so handsome and smart and yummy and he is a gentleman. He is 25 years old and he was in the Reserves. Let me know if you find something else. I want him, Steph." I hugged her and left with a secret mission. Good.

Cal and I drive back to the office to find the guys racing to their cars. Oh, well, there must be an alarm somewhere. Cat comes up to me and hands my gym bag to Ella. I allow her to pull me into the break room and hand me a cup of tea. She is not smiling. Is something wrong with Carlos?

"Chica, there is an alarm for your mother and your nieces. The guys are on the way there now. They called your mom and she told them that you had to get married immediately and that she would meet them as soon as she used the restroom." What?

"Focus, Steph. She told them that the guy has a gun and that she is by the bathrooms. She did well. Les promised to call me as soon as they had the situation under control."

I lean forward with my hands holding my head. They were being held up or kidnapped or something at Applebee's? Who does that?

"Did anyone call the police?" She nods.

"Yes. We contacted the police, but they agreed to let the guys handle it first."

My phone rings and I answer it. "Hello?" There is a sigh.

"Stephanie, it's your mother. I am fine and so are the girls. I have to call Frank now. No one got hurt. Well, the guy with the gun got hurt, but we are alright. I have to go." She hung up.

"That was my mother. She said that they are fine and that she is calling my dad now." Cat had just ended her own call.

"Yes. Apparently, the guy talked a lot and Les and Bobby were able to take him out from behind after getting your mom and nieces to duck. No shots were fired, they just whipped his ass." Good.

"They are being turned over to the police now. The guy worked at Applebee's. It does not look good for them. I know that Lester will have a nice long talk with the manager." I smile.

"Oh, okay, then. I have something to do for Isa." Cat grins.

"Did she tell you about her novio?" Dammit, how does she know?

"Chica, she told me when she asked me to come to the class. I said no and she said that she met someone. Now, you go and do the background search on him to see if he is good enough for your hermana en ley." I shoved her.

"I am not married yet, Cat." She shoved me back.

"You will be soon, Chica."

I left to go to my office to check out Nick Young. I hoped he was on the up and up, because Isa had hearts in her eyes when she told me about him.

 **Valerie POV**

I was having a nice time with Wyatt. We decided to play mini golf and then have a late lunch. I figured it would bore him to go school shopping. This was a pretty great guy. Stephanie already liked him. He was Italian and he loved to travel. He was my age and he really liked kids. I got a call from Mother saying that they were alright and that confused me, until she explained what happened.

My babies! She calmed me down and said that the nice Rangeman boys came to her rescue and that she was now taking the girls to Target to look for a birthday gift for little Joaquin. She did not even sound worried. I like Ma this way. I told Wyatt what happened and he hugged me.

"The guys are good, Valerie. They take the panic alarms very seriously and if they pulled all three of them, then I know they showed up like the SWAT team." I nodded into his chest. He has so many muscles!

"I know, but they are my babies, Wyatt." He smiles and hands me my club.

"Stop stalling and trying to get my sympathy, Plum. Winner picks the place for lunch, so take your putt."

He is so fun loving and he listens when I talk. I have to take this slowly, but I really like this guy. I take my putt and it is a hole in one. Ha! He may be better at shooting guns, but I can play some mini golf. He puts his arm around my shoulders and we move on to the next hole.

After lunch, I said goodbye to Wyatt and headed to the Walmart to get school supplies for the girls. I was taking my time and comparing bookbags when my name was called. I looked up and saw Betty Lupelli. She was a few years older than me and I know she is a big gossip. Bring it on, sister.

"Hello there, Valerie Plum! How are you doing? I heard you just got back into town with your daughters. Divorce is never a good thing. I also heard from Shirley that a man tried to hold up your mother and your daughters. Is that true?"

She grins like a shark about to go after krill. I am not afraid to face her, though.

"Hello, Betty. Yes, divorce is a good thing when your husband cheats. I would never stay with a cheater. You could end up with some sort of disease or something. Yes, my daughters are with my mother right now shopping for school. They have been accepted into Chilton Day School. That is why I am getting them new backpacks. I trust the guys at Rangeman. You know my sister works there. How are things with you?"

Take that.

Before she can answer, Wyatt calls me. Excellent. "Hello?"

"Hey, are you still doing alright, Valerie?" He is so sweet to check on me. I blush.

"Yes, I am fine, but I have to go. I was talking to someone just now."

"I also called to invite you to dinner tomorrow night since you start your new job next week." Wow!

"Sure, we can go to dinner tomorrow night, but I pick the place." Betty leans in close. I know what I am doing.

"Of course, Valerie. Text it to me so I can get a reservation." He is so adorable.

"Okay, then. See you." I hang up and stare at Betty.

"So, who was that, Valerie? Do you have a new man already?" She is playing right into my hands.

"No, not yet, but I did meet someone. We are just friends right now. I need time and my kids need time to adjust to our new lives. There is no rush. He assured me that he is interested in me and he loves kids. He is also not from Trenton." She almost pouts. This is fun.

"Well, I will have to let you go. You take care, Valerie."

She pushes her cart away from me already talking on the phone. Whatever. I go back to comparing backpacks. I decide on a plain messenger bag for Angie. Her Ipad will fit inside and I get a sparkly bag for Mary Alice.

I make a stop over by the Halloween costumes because the girls want to be badass princesses. I check out the Mulan costume and the Belle costume and I am accosted by another gossiper. This time it is Angie Morelli. I sigh inwardly.

"Hello Mrs. Morelli. How are you today?" She grins at me and checks out the costumes.

"I am doing great, Valerie. I just heard from my son that he had a good date. I don't know if you have heard, but he prefers the company of men these days and he met a nice young man named Andrew. It seems like a good match and Joey is looking forward to this weekend. They are going to the Amish country. That means almost a commitment! I feel so good, I told Lorraine that I would pick up costumes for her kids. So tell me, did you do a burning bed on the cheating scum before you left him?" Wow.

"That is great about your son, Mrs. Morelli. No, I just took most of our money so he could not spend it on the freaking nanny!" She pats my shoulder.

"Good girl. Sometimes the pocketbook is where it hurts. You keep your head up and do not let anybody tell you it was your fault. Take it from someone who knows. Also, I met a nice gentleman named Christopher Reed. He was so polite and funny at dinner last night. We ended up having a triple date with your mother and that nice Ana Manoso. That food was delicious and I have to try to bake that tres leche cake! My grandbabies will love it."

I looked at Mrs. Morelli. She did look more lively. She looked like we look when we have a crush on someone. Good for her.

"That is great, Mrs. Morelli. That cake sounds delicious. If it works out, I would like to trade you for the recipe." She waves her arm at me.

"Your mother has it too. She is going to try to add chocolate to it. She is so silly. So I have a date tomorrow night to go dancing. Come with me to look at dresses." She pulls me with her and we look at dresses. None of these are going to work.

"Mrs. Morelli. How about we pay for our things and you come with me to Sak's. They have some good discounts and the girls there will love you." She lights up smiling at me and we rush to the checkout counter.

 **Lester POV**

I had barely finished putting my SWAT gear into my locker when Cat attacked me with a kiss.

I love kissing her, so I did not complain. I pull back and look at her eyes which are almost the same as mine, but they are darker.

"Hey there, Kitten. Did you miss me?"

She pulls at my clothes. I look around and I was the last one here because Miss Helen wanted a list of all of the guys who responded to her alert. She wants to bake us cookies. I love her. I had told the guys that I would give her their names and they dealt with the cops and the creep.

"Come on and take me in the shower, Lester." Yes, Ma'am. I follow her to the shower stalls and we take one and I shove her against the wall.

"What's wrong, Kitten?" She kisses all over my neck.

"I was worried a little bit. So do not bring it up with Steph. Come on, Lester, give it to me." She whines and growls as I take her slowly. She always wants to rush me.

"Kitten, let me take my time with you. You are so amazing, baby. There was nothing to worry about. We had our jackets and vests on and Miss Helen told us where she was when we called her." She tightens on me and I bite her neck.

"The guy was someone who worked there and thought she and the girls would be easy marks. Needless to say, he is fired and I told the manager that he needs to do better screening in the future. He begged for Rangeman and I put him on the schedule. He is having ribs delivered for us tonight. Now give it to me, Kitten."

She moans and scratches at my back. "Your mother is planning our wedding, Lester." I smile at her.

"Let her do it if that keeps her busy. We will plan our life together, Kitten. Now kiss me, baby. Are you ready?" She is panting and she looks so beautiful with the water and steam all around us. Damn, she is all mine, too.

Later, we dress and she manages to look like nothing happened. I, on the other hand, need a V8 or something. Shower sex is tiring.

"Come along, Osito and let's get you something to eat." I glare at her and tickle her.

"Do not call me that around the guys! I told you that as a secret, Catalina." She winks at me.

"Maybe later, you can punish me, Lester." She struts out of the room and I follow. I am her obedient servant.

 **Ranger POV**

This is the worst location ever. We are very close to a weed plantation and we have been advised to set it on fire. I have a bad feeling about this. Demon nods at me and we storm into the house and take down the four guys that were in there. It takes us no time to subdue them and put them into our van. We go room to room checking for any other residents or weapons and we load up more guns and ammo.

I was about to give Demon the signal when I heard a giggle. What the hell? I open the closet again and there is nothing there. The giggle is louder, so I find the latch and open a secret hidden part of the closet.

There is a lot of money in there and a little girl. Madre de Dios! Who left a little kid in here?! I motion to Demon and he just stares at me. What am I going to do with a three year old little girl? I know I look all kinds of scary.

"Is it over?" She asks me in accented English. I start packing the money and I try to stay as far away from her as possible. She is adorable.

"Is what over, Dulce?" She smiles and hands me stacks of money.

"I was playing hide and seek with Tio Pablo. Did I win? If I win, I get to have my own gun. He promised." We keep packing money and I hand it to Demon. He adds it to the pile of things we have to load into the van.

"Will you buy me a gun with some of this money? Can I get some new books, too? I can read Dr. Suess." She is pulling on my pants and staring at me with those eyes.

Oh, this is not happening to me. Maybe I am high from burning the weed. I ask Demon to pinch me and he smacks the back of my head. The fucker.

He bends down to her level and smiles. She smiles back and smacks him across the face.

"Use your words or next time, you get a time out." I laughed at the situation. She was a little Jefaza already in her little cargo shorts and brown and blonde hair.

"What is your name, Dulce?" She smiles at me.

"You can call me Dulce. You are a stranger and I do not know you." She is smart.

"How old are you?" She picks up her backpack. She had put some money into it. She was resourceful. It was only a few thousand. I would let her keep it.

"I am going to be four on November the 3rd. I do not like pink and I like guns. Where is my Tio?" I sigh. I am going to send the General a stink bomb.

"Your Tio has to go to jail, Dulce. We will have to take you home to your parents." She shakes her head and reaches for one of my guns. I back away from her.

"Nope. My parents are in heaven. Did my Tio steal something or hurt somebody?" She looks at me with those light brown eyes and I cannot answer her. I am hopeless at this.

"Your Tio did some bad things. Do you have an abuela or somebody we can call for you, Dulce?" She shakes her head.

"Nope. I will just go with you. I like your guns. What is your name?" Demon laughs at me.

"I am Ric." She holds out her little hand and I shake it.

"I am Francesca, but please just call me Chessie or Dulce is nice. Do you have kids already?" I shake my head no.

She smiles. "Good. I can run fast and I am good at hiding. I can go to the bathroom by myself and I speak Spanish and English. My birthday is soon and I wanted a mama and papa. Are you married? Can you just take me to your house?" Her little ponytail flops to the side as she looks at me.

I think my brain is melting. I carry her out of the house and drive a half a mile away. We stunned the men and left them in the back of the van.

I set Chessie on the seat and sat on the passenger side with her and tried to ignore her questions. She was killing me. She climbed into my lap and messed with my hair. She kept trying to take my guns and then she took a grenade and I had to throw it. She clapped and begged me to do another one.

"Please, Dulce. You must not touch these things. I will get you a water gun. My guns are dangerous." She sighs.

"I am a big girl, Pretty Ricky! Will you really get me a water gun?"

I smile and nod at her.

"Please just call me Ric or Ricky, Chessie." She nods and giggles.

Demon gets into the van and we drive off. I cannot believe it. We would have left her here. I want to punch Pablo in the face again just for that. He could have mentioned her. Who takes a kid to a drug deal?

"Ricky?" I look at her since Demon is driving.

"Yes, Dulce?" She smiles.

"Are you taking me home with you? I know my colors and I can dance."

She keeps giving me her little resume and it just scares me. Babe is the one that is a kid magnet. I look at Demon and he nods at me. I sigh and pray that Babe will not kill me.

"Sure, Dulce, but you have to be good and do what I say until we get there. Do you promise?"

She nods and leans against me and goes to sleep. She is cute and I can understand how Woki wormed his way into Babe's heart. What were we going to do with this little girl while we did our last takedown?

 **Stephanie POV**

Isa was thrilled when I told her that she could continue to date Nicolas Young. She said I was her favorite almost sister in law. She is cute. She even promised to wait until after I get engaged to introduce him to the familia. Her words, not mine. I was happy to help her and it kept my mind off of Carlos.

I sent a text to Katrina to sell twisted pretzels in Morelli's honor and I gave her the recipe. She said that she would do them in November because she wanted to practice the recipe and that she could not stop selling churros. She said that was my best idea ever.

Tank got a super secret call from Carlos and he told me that he was doing fine and that he was right on schedule and then he asked me if I would mind if Luis fixed a kid's room in the apartment in the second bedroom. I shook my head no and hugged him. Carlos was alright!

After that, the guys and Luis converged on the room and they were looking at camo print sheets online. It was funny watching them all pitch in like that. The kids will not be over again for at least a few weeks. There is Woki's birthday in a week and the Halloween Ball. Maybe they just need a distraction, too.

I decided to send another gift to bad Steve. Today's gift is subscriptions to all of the questionable magazines I could think of. He would get Jugs, Big Asses Galore, XXL, Playgirl and a host of other fun titles. He would not be able to stop them because they were gift subscriptions. I also sent him some lube. It was a large bottle. Heh heh.

Well, I mentally cross another day off of my Carlos calendar and sit and watch Heathers with Cat while we eat fat free chocolate gelato. Cat said that she loved this movie because of the explosions. I love it because Winona Ryder killed her evil friends. I always wondered what would happen if Burg bitches started "committing suicide". I guess it is a good thing that I am not into murder.

The guys left when the movie was over. They had made a lot of headway. Luis promised to finish the painting tomorrow. That was nice. The kids were going to love that bed, though. There was a desk underneath and the bed was a bunk bed. It was adorable. I looked at the name stenciled on the wall. Who was Chessie?


	30. Chapter 30

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

The past two days have been the longest of my life. Setting the guys in motion in Trenton to fix Chessie's room was easy. Dealing with Chessie has been difficult. First she refused to wear the clothes that Demon bought for her.

She looked him in the eye after he bent over and said, "Do you want me to look like a flower? Please take that fugly dress back to the tienda." I had learned a new word. Fugly meant fudging ugly.

Demon's feelings had been hurt. He thought that getting to go shopping and sticking me with Chessie was funny. She then demanded that he get her clothes like ours and no pink. She said it was better for hiding. She wanted a gun belt. She also asked for a better backpack. Demon almost ran away from her.

I hated to see Demon go because Chessie liked to ask questions. So many questions. Did I have a dog? Can she have an iguana? What was my favorite food? Why didn't we eat yet? Did I still have a mommy. Was my mommy nice? Can she make her some cookies? Can she have a knife, too? Why was I not married? Did I spank kids? What was my favorite color? She was exhausting.

At night, she told us stories of princesses with guns that shot at the monsters that were under the bed while she cuddled with me. We had given her a bed to herself and she said that she should sleep with me.

She said she could shower by herself and she just needed a towel and for us to fix the water for her. She did not like the bubblegum-flavored toothpaste that Demon bought her. Every time she vetoed something, I sent a text to Tank.

We fed her, and let her change into khaki cargo capris with a dark blue tee shirt that said "Don't ask, don't tell" and little sneakers. She refused the ones that lit up because that was not good for hiding. But they lit up and I could find the little Jefaza.

I almost had a heart attack when I used the bathroom and came out to find that she was gone. I searched the hotel room and she was hiding in the fucking dresser! It was old fashioned and she could stand up in there.

She giggled and that is how I found her. Giggling is not good for hiding either, but I am not going to tell her that, I begged her not to hide from me unless she told me next time. She kissed my cheek and said that I was funny.

"So, Ricky, what will be my new name?"

Why does she ask such hard questions? Maybe we can talk about babies again. She thinks I should get her one. Not a doll, but a real baby. She said it could be her friend. She really wants a friend. I hope that Babe did not kill me. We had vaguely talked about kids, but this was different. I looked at Chessie. Babe would love her, anyway. I could not just leave her here. She would kill somebody.

"I am not sure, Chessie. What is it now?" She smiled and played her checker. We were playing Connect Four and waiting for our last contact to call us.

"My name is Francesca Lapis Soto, but I like Smith." I was not going to ask her. I played my checker and she laughed and beat me with her play.

"Ricky, do not let me win! Big people always do that! Now let's try again." She reset the game and I took the red checkers. She had claimed black. It was those eyes. I am weak for them.

"Chessie, I did not let you beat me. You were better than me. Good job, mija." She smiled and played a checker.

"Will you get me some friends, Ricky?" I smiled at her.

"Of course, mija." She smiled.

"Not all big friends. I want friends that are my size, Ricky." I nodded at her.

"So, I have to get married." Why is she so crazy?

"Why, mija?" She looked at me like I was stupid.

"So I can be Mrs. Smith, Ricky! She has the best knives and guns and she can beat the hombres! She jumped off of a building!"

Great. Another Babe. Damn, I miss her. She would have tamed Chessie by now. It is all I can do to keep her from trying to braid my hair.

"Chessie, you do not have to get married. It is too soon for that. If you get married, you will not live with me and my novia. I told you about your new room, right?" She played her checker and gazed at me, weighing her options.

"Can you still teach me to jump off of a building, then?" I smiled at her. Sure I could teach her to climb ropes and to repel.

"When you are six, Chessie." She sucked her teeth at me.

"How about when I am four, Ricky." She played another checker and trapped me. No matter what move I made, she had a way to win. Was she just using these questions to distract me?

"No, Chessie. Maybe when you are five. We will see how things go." She beat me again and did her victory dance.

"I beat you again. Now I want to know more about your novia. Is she mean? Does she shop a lot in tiny clothes? Does she wear pink? Does she have a gun? Can she run fast because I have two guns now!"

She was hilarious. She had negotiated that she should have a gun for each hand. She said it made sense. Her little water gun was realistic looking. Her bb gun was the same. I would not fall for her attempts to flatter me by looking like me. Now she is just staring at me. What is wrong now?

"Chessie, what is wrong now?" She sighs.

"You are ignoring me, so I was practicing the clear face."

"Clear face?"

"Si, it is when you do not smile and you stare at people. You do this a lot, so I want to do it, too."

"My novia calls it my blank face, Chessie. I am not ignoring you, I was just thinking. My Babe likes to shop and she wears normal clothes. No, she does not like pink too much and she has two guns. She can run pretty fast and she is not mean to children. She is mean to creeps."

She stops practicing her blank face and climbs into my lap. I was fine with her across the table, but I was a goner with her this close.

"So, what is to be my new last name, Ricky? Will I be your familia now? Will you keep me if she does not like me?"

She has her little hands on my cheeks. Her complexion was lighter than mine, but darker than Babe's. If she had blue eyes, I would think that she was ours.

When we took her hair out of the ponytail to brush it, it had become a wild curly mass of blondish brown locks. She told Demon what kind of hair stuff to buy and he went out on another mission. My point is that she is too adorable and too close to my picture of what a child with Babe would resemble.

"Chessie, you do not have to change your name to be a part of my family. I made you a room in my apartment and the guys have a security chain for you to wear. My Tia will buy you clothes. You will live with me, mija. Babe will like you. She will bake you a cake." She stares into my eyes.

"Write it down." What?

"What?" She crosses her arms.

"Like when you make a deal. Write it down and then I will believe you. Plus, change my name, Ricky. I do not want a jail name." She was still mad at her Uncle Pablo.

"Okay. We will get the paperwork when we meet the general. We will make it so you are my daughter, okay? You will have my last name." She smiled.

"Is it Smith?" I laughed.

"No, mija." She played with my hair.

"I can keep a secret, Ricky."

I told her that I would not give her too much information until our secret mission was over. She loves that we are on a mission and she picked a codename when I told her that mine was Ranger and that Damian's was Demon. She said she is Dragon. I think that I love this little girl.

"I know, mija. I told you that I will tell you soon. Calm down."

I stroked her hair as she laid against my chest. She was getting sleepy. I hope Demon found us a sitter. The last mission should only take two hours. There was a potential of explosions, but we would be using our scopes and long distance rifles for this one.

Chessie had begged to come, but I told her that she had not had the proper training and clearance yet. She had immediately backed off. Demon was dumbfounded with how I handled her. He had been about to tell her that she was too little to come. He must love tantrums and being kicked in the leg.

Demon came back with someone's abuela and she promised not to let Chessie leave the room and I told Chessie that I needed her to watch out for Mrs. Lorenzo until I got back because she might be a witness. Her little eyes lit up and she said she would do her best. That kid is so cool. This was our last job, and then we had to debrief. I was looking forward to it. Really, I cannot wait until the general meets Chessie.

 **Stephanie POV**

So, I found out who Chessie is. Ella talked me down off of the ledge by telling me that Carlos found her and could not leave her behind, or she would have been blown up. Tank showed me all of the text messages and some of them were funny.

I asked Tank if Carlos told him to tell me about Chessie and he squirmed and said not exactly. Well, we would talk about that when he got back here with her. She would love her room. She has a little sofa and a little recliner in there and Luis was now painting a dragon on the wall.

She sounded like a cool little girl and Cat was jealous. She made Lester go to Stark Street to find her a kid. I had laughed myself silly. I told her that if she wanted to adopt that she should sign up with an agency. She came back an hour later and said that it would take too long and that she could make her own kid in that time.

She reminded me of our pact and said that even if I get a cute little girl, I still have to get pregnant with her after we let the Motherhood arrange our weddings. We referred to the club of mothers as the Motherhood now. They were efficient and we dodged their incessant questions constantly.

Today, I was having lunch with Mary Lou and Valerie at Olive Garden. Wyatt was coming as my backup. Cat took the guys to the obstacle course and bet them that she would beat their times. I did not want to play war games, so I begged off.

Ma was watching the girls on a play date with Sera, Lily, Reina and Cedes. Emilio took Woki to laser tag with Dante. Woki had called me this morning all excited and to remind me to come to dinner tomorrow. I promised him that I would bake lemon cake and he said I was his favorite Tia and hung up. I love that kid.

Mary Lou met me in the foyer of the restaurant and she looked good in her blue, long sleeved jersey dress. She had on cute ankle boots and a trench coat. Her hair was up in a complicated updo. Wow.

"You look amazing ML!" She preened at me.

"Steph, I went to Sak's yesterday with the gift card that I got from Hector. He said my chocolate cake was delicious. I am getting pretty good with a knife, too."

I smiled and hugged her. We stood there waiting for Valerie. Where was Wyatt? He was supposed to be my backup. Honestly.

Val came inside with Wyatt following her. She looked flustered and her lips were swollen. I looked at ML and she nodded at me. She had noticed it, too. Valerie was wearing a dark gold dress that came to just above her knees and thick tights and brown boots. Her hair was loose.

"Hello, Val. You look great!" She hugged us and we sat down at our table.

"Please, Steph. You are really styling in that green dress."

It was just a wrap dress. I love these and they are easy to take off, so Carlos loves them too. I miss him.

"Snap out of it and order your drink and appetizer." ML was so bossy.

"Steph, I gotta tell you, you have so much confidence now. It is like before you met Dickie."

"Thanks, Val." She drank her tea.

"You should know that Mom is planning your wedding again." I waved her off.

"I know. I am giving her little things to do. I am not even engaged yet. I have forbidden her from choosing a dress, though. So, what do you two think of being cheerleaders for the charity softball game? Connie and Lula already said yes." They gasped.

"Look, I am a mother of three, Steph! I could not possibly wear a skimpy outfit that would show off my new tighter figure." I laughed at ML. She said that while nodding frantically.

"I will do it. I would love to cheer for Wyatt. What color will we have to wear?" I ate a breadstick.

"We have decided on grey and white and they are two piece uniforms that we can wear a turtle neck under. There is a small amount of skin that will show on our midriffs and the skirts have pleats and come to mid-thigh. They are tasteful."

My remarks are met with silence.

"What do you mean they are tasteful, Steph?" ML looks irked with me.

I showed them a picture of Becky in her outfit and they calm down. "They are tasteful compared to what the girls originally wanted. They wanted bra tops and spandex skirts. I talked them down. Since you agreed, practice is on Tuesday and Thursday nights for the next two weeks. They will video the routines for us so we can rehearse at home."

"That sounds cool, Steph. I am still going to bake something for the bake sale. The competition is fierce with those women. I heard your mother has a secret recipe she is trying out."

Val and I giggle. Ma was working with Ella and Ana and they were in a tizzy about it. I am just glad they have a project besides my wedding to plan for.

Wyatt had been quiet this whole time, but suddenly he sat up straight and gave me a look. Oh dear. Who was it now? Approaching my table was Joe Morelli and he was not alone. Wow. He was dressed better and he was smiling. I am still wary of him.

"Hello Cupcake, Valerie, Mary Lou. This is Andrew. How are you today?" Is he an alien now or something? He is being too nice. I looked at Val and ML and they smiled fake smiles.

Andrew elbows Morelli and he sighs. "Fine. I mean Stephanie." Andrew smiles.

"I am fine, Morelli. You are looking well." He smiles and I notice that he is holding hands with Andrew. Valerie was filming this. She is worse than Gram.

"We were just having lunch before we start the drive to the Amish country." It is like he wants us to gossip about him.

ML chimes in. "Oh, I hear it is beautiful this time of year!" Morelli beams a smile.

"Yes, Andy says that the foliage is a must see and that I will feel very relaxed by the time we get back. Since I have time off from work, I am taking advantage of it. My mother is raving about her home security system, so I wanted to get your business card, Stephanie."

I blinked at him and Wyatt hands me my purse. I take out a card and hand it to him and he nods and smiles.

"Have a good afternoon, ladies." He and Andrew walk to their table and we decide not to have dessert. The girls follow me back to the building and we rush to my living room where we take off our shoes.

"Oh my god!" This is from Val, who refuses to actively gossip. She did send the video she took to Lula, though. She loved Lula's sense of humor and that she said she would have busted a cap in Steve's ass if he had done her wrong. I worry about their friendship, but Val is a big girl.

Mary Lou on the other hand has been on the three way since we left the restaurant. She handed Wyatt her keys and told him to drive her car. He looked hilarious behind the wheel of a mom van.

"Yes, Val. It was weird. I am so sad that I cannot make fun of him anymore. There is nothing wrong with him having a relationship! He ruined everything!" I pout. Now what will I do for fun?

Cat came into the room still toweling her hair. "Did you show them the cheerleading outfits, Chica?" I nod and glare at Legally Blonde, which Valerie has brought with her to watch.

"Why must she be so pink?"

Valerie snorts at me and settles in on the floor with her shoes off to watch the movie. Whatever. MaryLou came out of the kitchen with a large bowl of pudding and six spoons. I guess that Connie and Lula were on their way here, too. It was going to be girls' night: the stay at home version ladies and gentlemen. Did they even think to ask me? How were Connie and Lula getting into the building?

"Chica, Lula is friends with Tank and Connie is going on a date with Ram. Keep up and stop talking to yourself. Did you tell your hermana about your new daughter?" Valerie gasps and looks at my stomach. I glare at Cat.

"Jealousy does not look good on you, Catalina." She motions to the girls to follow her and we all go and look at Chessie's room.

"Oh my gawd, Steph! This room is amazing! You are so lucky to be having a girl! Trust me. Boys are such a handful! You are not even showing, you lucky bitch. Is this why your mother asked for my measurements? Are you having a quickie wedding?"

I turn and stomp back out of the room. ML knows that I am not pregnant! She had better know. There weren't even any cribs or changing tables in the room. Sheesh!

"How could you not tell me that you are knocked up? I guess that Ranger's snipers went on a mission and did the impossible, huh?" I take the pudding from ML.

"White Girl?! You are having a Batbaby?!" I flop back down on the couch.

"Hello, Lula. No. I am not pregnant you guys. Do not tell anyone about this! Carlos would kill me. He wants this to be a secret. You know how he is with protecting his family. Promise me that you will keep it a secret. I mean it."

Connie takes the pudding from me and sighs. "That would have been epic, Steph! Fine. I will not tell anyone. If you are not pregnant, how are you getting a daughter? Is it a love child from a previous relationship?" The girls ooooh and aaah.

Cat laughs at me while I bang my head against the sofa. She is aptly named. The bitch.

"Listen, girls. Valerie please stop pouting. I am supposed to keep this a secret. Ranger found an abandoned little girl and he is keeping her. She is three and she hates pink. Her name is Chessie and she is a Latina. That is all that I know, except that she does not really like dolls, either. They will be back on Monday. Please do not tell anyone, not Ma or the girls, Val. Give me a few days on this."

Val stops sulking and hugs me.

"This will be so great! You will love being a mother, Steph! And she is already potty-trained!"

Cat shoots a dart at me and I move my head to the side. She bought that nerf gun just so she could shoot at me safely. We tried going to the mats, but the guys would stop working whenever we fought.

"I am going to try my best, Val. Thanks for being supportive."

"White Girl, are you really not knocked up? I thought Batman was a superhero and shit." I shove her shoulder.

"Lula, I am not going to be pregnant yet. After I get married." She claps her hands.

"Girl, so show me the rock!" I sigh.

"Lula, I am not engaged yet. My mother is just crazy and she is planning for when it happens. I will show you the ring when I get engaged."

"I still love that little room, Steph. I want a girl, now too." I take the pudding away from ML again.

"No, Mary Lou. You said that three boys drive you crazy. You just started training and kickboxing. Do you want to lose your figure already?" She sighs.

"Hell yes." Wow.

"Okay. You can get pregnant with me and Cat after we get married." She grins and changes the movie to Girls Just Want to Have Fun and we spend the next couple of hours dancing and singing. I still miss Carlos, but I only have one day left. I hope that Chessie likes me.


	31. Chapter 31

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

She was the most adorable thing that I have ever seen and she was practicing her 'clear face'. I told Chessie that we were meeting with the general to tell him about our mission and she picked out a royal blue tee shirt and a little denim skort and matching blue and white sneakers to wear, with her gun belt of course.

She asked for her white button down shirt that had ruffles and elastic to wear over the tee shirt so it would cover her guns and a little denim jacket. Her hair was loose with a blue headband, and her curls bounced as she moved.

She walked along beside me into the building and kept up her expressionless act that she had maintained since we landed on the roof of the hotel down the street. Our things were in a room waiting for us.

When we had returned from our last op, Chessie had hugged me and then she shook Demon's hand. She said she was glad that we did not get shot, and then she asked me to describe it to her. She wanted to know the body count and she wanted to know how many people we sent to jail. I really love this little girl.

She is ignoring the looks that we are getting. Demon and I are wearing our usual cargos and dress shirts over tee shirts with our tags around our necks and our weapons. We leave the security check and go to the general's outer office. His secretary takes one look at Chessie and squees. Chessie does not react.

"Oh my gosh! You are the most adorable thing!" She stoops to Chessie's level.

"What's your name, Cutie?" Chessie looks right at her.

"No habla ingles." I bite the inside of my cheek to hold in my laughter. The secretary sighs and gets up.

"Fine, kid. Don't tell me your name."

She looks at me. "You can go right in, Captain Manoso and Lieutenant Little."

We nod at Janine Gordon, who had been the general's secretary for the past five years. She knew 4 languages and she was smart, so she knew that Chessie was screwing with her. She was a good field agent and could play a number of roles with a partner, or so I am told. For instance, today she was a brunette with brown eyes.

I never personally worked with Janine, and since she got married, she stopped doing field assignments. She had the right clearance, though, and she was great at research, so the general had snapped her up. He was crafty like that.

Inside the office, we were directed to sit on the sofas. I hate this part. He always tries to treat a debriefing like a family chat. I already have a pie loving father and a wedding planning mother thank you very much. He smiled as he sat down.

He is a distinguished black man who does not look 50 years old. He still has his same build from his days in the field, but now his wavy hair has salt in it to go with the pepper. He smiles as we hand him the files. He would pretend to read them and wait for Janine to summarize everything.

"I trust everything went according to the plans, gentlemen. Would you care for some coffee or iced tea?"

Demon reached for the coffee and Chessie cleared her throat. We looked at her.

"Do you know who made that coffee, Dee? What if it has poison in it?" He blinks at her and chuckles.

"Thanks, Dragon. I trust the general. If something happens to me, you and Ranger avenge my death, okay?" She smiles at him and nods.

The general looks at Chessie. "Your name is Dragon?" She smiles a huge smile at him.

"Your name is General?" I laugh.

"No, that is just what I am called here. My name is Theodore Young. You can call me Teddy if you want."

She continues to smile for a moment and then she stops and does her 'clear face'.

"So, you are the one that wanted to kill me?" He rears back like she smacked him.

"No! We did not know that you would be there. I am very relieved that you were saved from that situation."

She smiles again. "Okay. I am Francesca but you can call me Chessie. Will you let me go to missions? I can run fast, I have guns, and I can keep a secret."

He looks at me lost and then I decide to bail him out. "Mija, we discussed this. You need training and a security clearance. This could take years, but we can practice when we go home, okay?"

She nods at me and eats a cookie from the plate that was on the table.

General Young clears his throat. "Yes, Chessie, you will need training. I will leave it to Manoso to handle for you. I was able to expedite the paperwork for your adoption."

He hands over the papers and I see that he has included the death certificates from her birth parents as well as the papers stating that she was mine. I read her birthdate again. November third was soon and right after Woki's birthday. I can only imagine those two together.

"Ricky?" I look at her.

"You are Manoso?"

"Yes, Chessie." She climbed into my lap and put her hands on my face again.

"It is not Smith." I chuckle.

"No, mija."

"Does that paper say that you are my papi now?" I swallow.

"Si, mija. That is what it says."

"So I am Manoso, too?"

"Si, mija." She tilts her head to the side.

"Can I still call you my Ricky?" I nodded at her and smiled.

She throws her arms around my neck and hugs me.

I rub her back. General Young smiles at us and Demon sniffs. He cracks me up.

"Besides Chessie, were there any other hiccups, gentlemen?"

We shake our heads. I know he will not let me leave until I eat a damned cookie and drink something. I take a cookie and settle Chessie on my lap. She is playing with my hair.

"Ricky, do we have to fly in the heli again to go home?"

I nod at her and sign some more documents to establish the new bank account for my fees. I choose a bank in Monte Carlo.

"So, can we jump out of the heli with a parachute and fly?"

She is going to love Babe.

"Chessie, we cannot do that this time, but maybe we can do it one day. We have a lot of training to do, but I want you to have fun as well. Remember I told you about Max?"

She sits down in her seat again and eats cookies and talks about Max to General Young. He acts like he thoroughly enjoys their visit. At least this time he will not nag me to settle down. Did he notice that we are all wearing blue? Demon and I are in navy blue, but still. I did not wear black this time.

I look at my watch. Chessie needs to eat real food and then she needs a nap before we leave for Trenton and a heavier jacket. Maybe we could buy Babe a gift.

I stand up and shake General Young's hand. "Thank you, sir. This was a fruitful mission." He pulls me in for a hug and repeats the gesture with Demon.

"No problem. You helped us out of a tight spot. We would have had to send 4 teams in to do what you two managed in less than a week. Now I can go home and enjoy the rest of my Sunday. You know I have family in Jersey. I might just come and visit you."

"I will take that as a threat, sir."

"Take care, Manoso. See you soon, Little. Bye, Miss Chessie."

She waved at him and smiled and we left. She put that 'clear face' right back on as soon as we walked out of the door.

Janine cleared her throat and we turned back to her. She was dangling a small chain with dog tags on it.

"Here you go, Chessie. You will make a good agent one day. Keep up the good work."

Chessie ran over to her and let Janine put the chain on her and smiled at her. "Gracias, Chica." They laughed and then I picked her up and we left. She could charm anybody.

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

I was in Ana's kitchen helping to put food into serving dishes, but all I could think about was the fact that Carlos would come home tomorrow. I would arrange a platter and check my watch. I felt like I was watching the worst New Year's Eve countdown ever. Time was just not moving along.

The guys and Ella had finished Chessie's room and Ella had cooked some meals for Chessie. I had baked her a lemon cake, but it was green with colored sprinkles on top. I have her security necklace in my pocket, and I had bought her a bracelet like mine that she could wear on her ankle.

I also got her a stuffed dragon that was big, but not too big and so soft that I wanted one now, too. Ella bought her clothes and Cat got her a Swiss Army knife and a little sheath she can use for it.

We have five toddler seats. The guys said we should be prepared. They also all brushed up on first aid and they moved all of the ammo to another location. I bet she will have them teaching her to pick locks in no time.

Lula had come over early today to bring a large mirror for Chessie's room. She said every little girl wants to play in front of a mirror. It fit perfectly against the wall. I had not told either of our mothers and I knew they were going to kill me, kill Carlos, and then they would both have a party about it. At least I am not there tonight. My mother was a master interrogator and she would get the news out of me in no time.

* * *

 **Helen POV**

I checked my reflection one more time and I looked quite nice in my green dress. It comes to below my knees and I have these nice boots that do not have a heel, but are really cute. My hair is back in a chignon and I am only wearing a little lipstick.

Frank had forbidden me to cook today. He said that since the kids had plans, I should relax and he was taking me to Rosinni's. I had forced him to let me dress in our room and he dressed in the girls' old room because he kept kissing me.

I do not know what has gotten into him lately, but I think it is the fact that mother moved out. We had a good time earlier gluing sequins on her costume for tomorrow. She is going as a swinging 20s dancer. She told me that she wanted to show off her assets and I just smiled and added as many sequins as possible. Mother is still a little risqué. I sighed and thought about my own costume. I was going to be a gypsy. Mother insisted and she said that Frank would love me in a getup like that.

I met Frank at the top of the stairs and he let me go first.

"You look really pretty, Helen." I blushed.

"Thank you, Frank. I am glad we are going out. You were right. It was nice not to cook today. I cook and bake all the time and I am happy to take the night off."

He kissed my cheek and handed me my coat.

When we arrived, we had to wait for our table to be ready. I looked around and spotted that nice Katrina here with Jacob. I waved and they waved back. I also saw Angie Morelli and Christopher Reed. They are looking cozy over there. I had to tell Ana that our matchmaking was a success.

I allowed Frank to pull out my chair and I settled in for an evening of mild seduction with my husband. He has been working out or something lately because his posture has improved as well as his, well, longevity. I am not going to complain. I like when he smiles at me like that, so I smile back and wink at him. As we toast each other with some really splendid wine, I thought to myself that this really was a good idea.

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

"Estefania, I think the potatoes are done, no?" I stared at Elena and nodded. I had zoned out again. I transferred the potatoes to a serving dish and tried to focus on the family dinner.

She sidles up to me and I try not to be nervous. "So, when are you and Ricky going to get married and have kids? I am not ready to have another one yet and I need the pressure off."

Portia high fives her. "You said it, hermana! We cannot all be perfecto like Celia with her three. Mama never nags her anymore."

Elena makes a face. "Elena, poor Sera must be so lonely in the house all by herself. You need another hijo. Are your lady parts still working? Do you need to visit Cousin Ernesto? That man is not looking at my goodies! He is a hundred years old!"

I crack up laughing at them.

Isa comes into the kitchen. "Girl, I just realized that you three were alone in the cocina. Whew! I do not see any smeared cake." I smack her arm.

"Isa, did you tell your sisters about your novio?" They squeal and I escape the kitchen and the question. Heh heh. It was safe to tell them about Nicolas Young. She was right. He was a cutie.

Woki runs up to me after I set the serving platters on the table.

"Estefania, no one is looking. Tell me that I am your favorite." I pick him up and kiss his cheeks.

"Woki, baby, you are your mommy and daddy's favorite little boy, but you are one of my favorite super heroes. I think that you are so special and I love you, Joaquin. I always will no matter what." He kisses me back and hugs me.

"Okay, because when you marry Tio Ric, you might get a baby. I want to still be your favorite." He is so cute.

"I will always love you, Sweetie and we can still do things together like our bowling dates and your birthday is on our bowling night this week! We have only three more days until your party!"

He grew excited and started explaining the food and the games to me and we sat with him in my lap. Celia just shakes her head at our antics and Emilio waves at me. Ricardo clears his throat at me and I nod towards Emilio. He winks at me and glares at Emilio until he leaves the room and returns with the pie in a box for Ricardo. They are funny.

I pass more time outside with the kids playing red light green light until it is time to go. I drive home with Max and a quiet Marco. Wyatt was having dinner with Val and the girls.

"Why are you so quiet, Marco?" I could be nice and not call him Rodriguez.

"I never know what to say to you, Steph." Aww.

"You can just talk to me like I am a regular person." He shifts in his seat.

"I am younger than the other guys, but I am good at tactics and I work in procurement. Your work on the searches frees up my time and I appreciate it. I heard you wanted to smack me for giving you so many to do." I laugh as we pull into the garage.

"Nope. I am fine, Marco. Let me know if you ever want to hang out or something. Do you have your leftovers?"

He grinned and nodded. He was gone by the time I got Max out of the car. I carried my bag of food while Max walked. At the fifth floor, Manny took my bag of food and kissed my cheek and I continued my ascent to the apartment.

I decided to take a shower and check on my costume again for the Halloween benefit. I am going as Fiona. She was a princess, but she kicked butt. I put on my camo pajama pants and matching tee shirt, and me and Max finally fell asleep around midnight.

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

I carried a sleepy Chessie off of the helicopter and Demon unloads our bags. I nod to him and he boards the chopper and leaves. I pick up the three bags and make my way over to the door that leads to the stairwell and it is thrown open and Lester, Bobby, Tank and Cat come out. Cat is bouncing on her feet. Isn't it 0300?

"Hey, man! It's good to have you back!" I nod at Tank and he grabs the bags.

"Cuz, do you think that you will wear a costume to the benefit tonight?"

I give Lester my blank face. He could bet on somebody else.

Bobby approaches us. "When you are ready for me to give this little one her shots and all of that, let me know, man."

Chessie lifts her head and pulls her bb gun on Bobby. "You want to shoot me, hombre?" I hold in my smile. Bobby backs away speechless.

Cat cannot stand it. "She is so adorable and badass! Here, Chiquita, I got you a knife!"

She hands the knife and little sheath over to Chessie, who looks at me first. I nod and she smiles and takes it.

"Gracias. Ricky, it is cold." I move us along and they follow me to the apartment and into the living room. I turn and glare at them.

"Go away. I will see you all in a few hours." They grumble, but they leave. I set Chessie down and we take off our coats. I carry her bag to her room and show it to her.

"This is really nice, Ricky. I like the dragon. When my friends come over, we can play in here."

I take off her shoes and I take her hair down. She goes to the bathroom and I wait. She comes back and puts on some tiny fuzzy slippers. She dances around in the mirror.

"Do you need help getting into the bed, mija?" There were steps to the bunk bed instead of a ladder.

She shakes her head and I kiss her forehead. She smiles at me. I leave the room and go to change into my own pajamas. I had left Chessie dressed in hers. When I came out of the bathroom, Chessie was sitting on the bed with Max in her arms and staring at Babe who was still asleep.

"Mija, this is not your room." She nods at me.

"Si, I know, Ricky. You showed me my room. It is nice."

She lays down and cuddles Max while still facing Babe. "Chessie, I mean that you should sleep in your room." She looks at me confused.

"Why? Do you not like me anymore, Ricky? I do not wet the bed, I do not hog the covers and I tell good stories."

I think that she does this list of skills thing when she is nervous or something.

"Chessie, mija, are you afraid to sleep alone?" She pets Max and stares at Babe, but she answers me.

"Someone could climb into the window and you would be too far away with the real gun, Ricky."

"Okay, mija. You can stay for now, but you will need to sleep in your room. We can make it secure for you, okay?"

She smiles and nods and goes to sleep. I spoon behind Babe and kiss her hair. She sighs and shifts against me. I finally feel like I am home.

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

Giggles and barking wake me up. I open my eyes to see a little girl holding Max's leash and talking on the phone.

"So you can come and open the door and Maxie can go outside? Okay, do you have a real gun? I will bring my guns and my knife. Knock four times and then three times. Okay. Bye Hal."

She hung up the phone and walked out of the room with Max. She was still in her pajamas, but she had a gun belt showing two guns and I could see her knife sticking out of her boot. She needed her shoes tied. I cleared my throat and got out of bed.

"Sweetie, you need your shoes tied. Can I do it for you?" She smiled at me.

"Okay. I did not want to wake up Ricky, so I called 0 on the phone and a nice guy said that he would help me to walk Maxie. I am Chessie. I can dance and count and I know my colors."

I smiled at her and walked her to the door after grabbing a robe. "I am Stephanie, but you can call me Steph. I baked you a cake for later. How about you put on this jacket for me, Chessie?"

She nodded and put on the jacket.

"I have this chain for you as well. It has a dragon on it. Now you have two chains. This will get all of the guys to come and save you, so only press it if you are scared and do not take it off, okay?"

She let me put it on her. I held her up and she looked at herself in the mirror. We both smiled.

There were seven knocks on the door and I opened it to see Hal. He looked excited. He bent down to talk to her.

"Hello, Chessie. I am Hal. We all got you a present and it is outside. If you come with me, I will show it to you and bring you back when Max is finished his walk." She looked at me and I nodded.

She smiled at Hal.

"Can you do the clear face?"

He did the blank face and then he smiled at her. She clapped her hands and held them up so he picked her up.

"We can be friends, Hal. Thank you for answering the phone. Did you know that Ricky snores?"

Hal held in a laugh and Chessie turned to me.

"I will be back, Stephie. Make Ricky wake up and tell him that he promised I could have pancakes and wear clothes like his but like a skirt. Okay, bye!"

I grinned as I watched Hal take her on the elevator. She was perfect! I raced back to the bedroom and took off my robe and jumped onto the bed. I straddled Carlos and kissed all over his face and neck. His arms came around me.

"I love you, Babe. I missed you so much."

We stared at each other and then we kissed. He rolled us so that he was on top of me and I wrapped my legs around him. We made out like teenagers for five whole minutes. The phone rang and I grabbed it.

"Yes?" There was a giggle.

"Stephie! I have a car! It is blue. Hal said it is my welcome home present and I said that he could come to my birthday party! He said it is from all of the guys. Did you know that one of them wants to shoot me? Is Ricky awake yet?" I laugh.

"Yes, Chessie. He is awake and I will tell him what you said. I am sure that your car is nice, Sweetie. See you in a few minutes."

"Okay!" She hung up. I kissed Carlos again.

"I love you, too. I have been miserable without you here and so horny! Morelli went to Amish country and Wyatt is dating my sister!" He chuckles and we roll on the bed again.

"Isa has a new boyfriend and I checked him out already. I want you badly, Carlos and Chessie wants pancakes and to dress like you but like a skirt today!"

He laughs and pins me to the bed again, but I flip him. I know that he lets me, but whatever.

"I want you badly, Babe. It sounds like there are some stories you have to tell me."

"Right back at you, but we have a tiny commando coming back and she will be ready to eat."

He sighed and let me go. I get up and race to her room to look at her clothes and Ella and Cat are already in there. What?

"Chica, you snooze, you lose. We have picked out this black skort with a silver ruffled shirt and a little jacket. Here are the boots and the socks she will wear. Stop pouting; you can help her in the bathroom, but I am doing her hair. Tomorrow is Ella's turn. We decided that she should eat first and then get her clothes changed. Ella is packing her a lunch and I am packing her backpack. Go away."

I laugh and hug them. They hug me back. But they glare meaningfully at the door. Fine. I wander back to the bedroom, where Carlos is sitting on the bed.

"You know that I adopted her, right, Babe?" I sit on his lap.

"I would not expect any less of you, Carlos." I kiss him gently.

"Are you alright with this, Babe?" He nuzzled my neck.

"Yes, Carlos. I love her already and the guys bought her a car. I hate to see her birthday party, and Cat and Ella have commandeered her wardrobe. We will have to schedule time with her." He kisses me again.

"Will you consider adopting her, too, Babe?" I hug him tightly.

"Yes, Carlos. I will adopt her after we get married." He bit my neck.

"We are getting married, Babe?"

I roll my eyes at him. Our mothers had that almost in the bag. Speaking of mothers.

"When do you want to tell your mother and my mother about Chessie?"

He blanched and shook his head. So, not today. Okay then. I got up and took a shower. I dressed in a silver blouse that was of course embroidered and a black wrap skirt with black thigh high tights and knee boots. I put my hair into a ponytail and went to the kitchen to eat.

Chessie was there talking to Carlos about her car. When she saw me, she waved and pointed to the seat next to her.

"Stephie! I have my pancakes. Did you check on my clothes?" I kissed her cheek.

"Yes, Cat and Ella have your clothes ready. When you are finished eating, we can give you a bubble bath and then we will help you to get dressed. You can come to work with us this week, but next week we can find a nice daycare for you."

She kept eating and looking at me. I pulled out my phone and showed her the calendar.

"This is today and this is Wednesday. That is Halloween and Joaquin's fifth birthday. You can dress up as whoever you want and go to his party. He will be you friend and he has sisters that are older than him. This is Saturday and that is your birthday. We will have a party for you. Is that alright?"

She looks at Carlos who smiles at her.

"Okay, Stephie. You can write all of that down. I want to be Mrs. Smith. She jumped off of a building! These pancakes are good and so are the peaches! Ricky, are you eating rocks?" I howl laughing.

"No, mija. It is granola and it is good for you." She gives him her blank face.

"Like the broccoli and the spinach, Ricky?" He sighs.

"Si, mija. I told you that part of your training is learning to eat the right foods." She continues her blank stare.

"I told you that we can put cheese on it and it will not taste like I am eating grass, Ricky." I laugh at both of them.

Chessie drinks her orange juice and sighs. "I am finished, Stephie. Ricky, do not leave me. I am going to get my clothes changed. Maxie is with Hal."

He kisses her curls. "Si, mija. I will not leave you."

She takes my hand and skips to her room. It takes me no time to bathe her and she puts on her little robe and waits patiently for Cat to come back. She breezes into the room in an outfit that matches mine exactly and I sigh. At least her hair is in a long French braid.

"Hey, Chiquita. Let's get you dressed and your hair done. Tell Steph you will see her in a few minutes." Wow she is bossy.

I leave the room and I am grabbed and carried into the bedroom and then into the walk in closet.

"Babe, please tell me that you are wearing those thigh high things today." I moan and nod at him. He rips my panties and plunges two fingers inside of me.

"Oh, Carlos!" He bites my neck and murmurs that he loves me.

"Shhh. It has to be quick, mi amor."

That is all of the warning I get before he spreads my legs further and thrusts inside me. Oh, he feels so good. I missed this. I hold onto his shoulders as we make love against the wall in the closet. We both stifle our moans.

When it is over, I kiss him and race to the bathroom to do damage control. I see my reflection and notice that I have finally lost that crazed look in my eyes. I look well loved. I fix my hair and freshen up and put on new panties and go in search of Chessie.

She is waiting in the living room with her backpack and she is watching the Blues Brothers. Who put this on for her?

"Chessie, baby, who put this movie on for you?"

She smiles at me and she looks just like a mini me in her outfit, except that she has knee socks on and her boots are more like combat boots and her jacket is tied around her waist. Cat had put her hair into a ponytail.

"Cat did it. I told her I wanted to see a jail movie." She is so cute.

"Listen, Chessie. I have this ankle bracelet for you. It is like mine. Will you wear it for me?" She hugs me.

"Okay. Thank you for being nice and not mean, Stephie. Now we can share Ricky and I do not have to shoot you. I watched you sleeping. Can you shoot the guy that wants to shoot me?" I smile. She was going to shoot me in my sleep?

"Who wants to shoot you, Chessie?" Carlos comes out wearing his grey suit.

"Babe, Brown wants to give her immunizations."

Oh. Well, he had better make sure it does not hurt.

"Chessie, Bobby is the doctor here and he was going to give you medicine. They call it shots because it is in a –" Carlos suddenly kissed me and pulled away giving me a look.

"What she means is that you need to have this medicine to be safe from being sick and if you are brave, we will take you for pizza at lunchtime, Chessie. Some people cry."

Chessie stood up straight. "I will not cry, Ricky. I can be brave! Let's go now. What kind of pizza can I get? Do you like ground beef? Are you going to kiss Stephie like that all the time?"

I grab her backpack and follow them. I cannot believe I almost said the N word. That was a rookie mistake.

"Come on, Stephie!" I hurried to meet them in the elevator. Girls are different from boys. Maybe I needed a manual.


	32. Chapter 32

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

I was holding her like a security blanket and she wanted to get down. "Ricky, I can walk." I know that as soon as I let her go, they will swarm her and give her whatever she wants.

"Mija, you will work in my office with me today. After the meeting, we can do some of your training and then your medicine, Okay?"

She kissed my cheek and nodded. I sighed and put her down. Babe gave me a commiserating look. The elevator opened and the guys were all staring at Chessie. She walked off of the elevator and turned and held out her hand to Babe. Steph gave her the back pack and she took my hand.

Lester stepped forward first. "Hello, Chessie. I am Lester and I am Ranger's cousin. I can show you how to open the locks on doors." She smiled at him and nodded.

"Okay, Lester. Do you know how to do grenades?" He looks at me and I glare back. He chuckles weakly.

"Um, yes, but they are for after you have been trained for a long time, Chessie." She shrugs and keeps walking. She spots Hal and waves at him. He waves back with a smile.

Bobby walks up to her and she gives him her blank face. "Hello. You can call me Dragon. I will come to see you later and you will not make me cry."

Bobby blinks in shock at how fast her mood changed. Chessie hugged Babe's legs and looked for my office. I pointed it out to her and she went inside.

Tia Ella was waiting in my office. I steered Chessie to her little desk and showed her how to do the programs. There was a math, reading and logic program on there so far. She just used the mouse and clicked on things.

I ignored Tia Ella because I know what she wants. "Ricardo, I cannot keep this from my sister. You must tell her. You have the benefit tonight anyway. You must tell her before Woki's party. You cannot just show up with a new nieta for her."

"Tia, are you blackmailing me so that you can babysit for Chessie tonight?" She looks affronted.

"No, Ricardo. I already have that scheduled. Tell your mother before one of the boys does." She kisses Chessie's curls and leaves my office.

I sigh. No, I will not call her yet. She will tell Babe's mother and they will be too much to deal with. I focus on my emails for the next half hour until Babe comes in.

"Where are you planning to take Chessie for pizza, Carlos? If we take her to the Burg, we might as well tell our parents." She looks like I feel. We both want to stall as long as possible. I think about it and suddenly I know where we can go. I smile at Babe.

"We will go to Chuck E. Cheese in Newark. No Burg. Let's get to the meeting. Come on, Chessie."

She gets her coloring book and a box of crayons when she sees me grab some files and a pen, and follows me to the conference room. I see that the guys have set up a booster seat for her and I help her into it.

"Thank you, Ricky." I smile at her and then I start the meeting. There are reports from sales, procurement, installations, and the response team. When it is time to discuss the FTAs, the guys try to sugar coat it because Chessie is here.

"So, this guy, Mickey Evans is wanted for aggravated assault and attempted, um well 187. We cannot find him, but we are brainstorming with Steph."

Chessie clears her throat. "Did he kill someone?" Lester looks scared. I nod at him.

"He tried, Chessie." She thinks for a minute. "Did you tell his mommy and his abuela that he was bad?"

"Actually, no, Chessie. We did not talk to his mother yet." She smiles.

"So, tell his mommy that he almost killed someone and she will tell you where he is. I know what 187 means, Lester." I chuckle at her.

Lester smiles at her and continues his report. Chessie does not interrupt him anymore and he does not try to sugar coat anything else. When the meeting is over, she gives Bobby a picture she drew of a man bleeding on the ground. I think she just threatened him.

I take her to my office and give her handcuffs and a pick. "Try to open them, mija. If you can do it, we will try with them on your wrists." They were a small pair of handcuffs in her size. That kept her occupied for a half hour.

Next, I put the cuffs on her wrists with her hands in front of her and gave her back the pick. It was another forty five minutes before she let me know she got loose. She was calm and not frustrated. She was also dancing to the music playing on her laptop.

"I got it, Ricky! Is it time to do the medicine, yet?" I hug her.

"Yes, mija. Very good!" I call Babe and Bobby and we go to his office.

"I am going to weigh you and take your vital signs, Dragon." He goes about making up her chart.

"Now it is time for the shots."

Chessie gives him the blank face and I am glad that her shirt has loose sleeves. I lift the sleeve of her left arm and tell her to look at me instead of at Bobby. He does three of them and she does not even flinch. When he is finished, he lets her pick a band aid and she chooses SpongeBob.

Bobby leaves the room and when the door closes, Chessie sniffs.

"He hurt me, Ricky, but I did not cry. I am brave." I pick her up and cuddle her.

"You were so brave, mija. I am very proud of you. Do you want the medicine for the pain?" I hold up the Tylenol liquid and she nods. I give her the small amount for her size and she leans on my chest.

"Thank you for holding my hand, Stephie. You helped me to be brave." Babe nods and wipes her own eyes. I hug her, too.

"Okay, let's finish our morning work and we can go to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch, Chessie."

She smiles and we wipe her face. By the time we leave the office, she is back to normal. I really am proud of her. She did not let Bobby see her cry.

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

That was rough and I kind of want to kick Bobby in the crotch for making Chessie cry. Cat had refused to come with me. She said that if Chessie was distraught, then she would give Bobby a sock party later. She is ridiculous and she is waiting for me in my chair.

"Did she scream and cry, Chica?" I smile at her.

"No, Cat. She held it together with her little blank face and she only sniffled a little. I, on the other hand cried like a baby. We are going to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. Do you want to go?" She smiles at me.

"Yes, I am going. When are you going to tell your mother about our little dragon? She will have a fit, you know. Lula called me begging to tell people already this morning. I had to promise to bring her some pizza back to get her to keep it quiet. She said she was having a rough morning. I think that I will send her pizza over with Bobby. What do you think?"

I giggled. "I think that Bobby will need some consoling. Chessie gave him a murder picture earlier and she will not smile at him. He is taking it pretty hard." Cat waved me off.

"He is the one that has to give her shots and icky medicine. That is his role. She will come around. Now, promise that you will tell your mother by the end of the work day. You cannot have her at that benefit going crazy."

Now my stomach hurt. Cat was right. If I waited until we were at the party, she would make a huge scene. It looked like we were stopping off to see Ana after Chuck E. Cheese with a stopover at Casa Plum after that. Geez.

Poor Carlos. I am going to have to promise him Superhero Sex tonight to get him to go for it. He still does not know that he is dressing like Zorro. Heh heh. I decided to save Fiona for Woki's party and wear the costume of Catherine Zeta-Jones' character tonight. I love the dress! It has a tight bodice with short slouchy sleeves and ruffles for the longish skirt. We were going to look so good together.

* * *

 **Helen POV**

I checked on Valerie this morning because it is her first day at work and all and she said she was fine and rushed me off the phone. That nice Emilio is picking up the girls when he gets his own daughters from school and Val can get them at his house. She is not going to the benefit tonight. That's alright. She told me that she is coming to the softball game and that she will participate in the bake sale. So that is good.

I am off today and for that I am glad. Frank and I may have been a little too intimate at Rossini's last night. Frank was so attentive to me. It was like we were the only ones there. At one point, I am pretty sure that I was in his lap and we were French kissing. No more wine for me! I am surprised that I did not get any calls about it.

Oh no! They would not call me; they would call other people to talk about me. You know what? I cannot do anything about it, and we are married, so whatever they say about us cannot be that bad. Even though I do not care, I decide to just try a few calls to test the Grapevine. What can it hurt?

I call up Mary Lou Stankovic. She is Stephanie's friend. She will go easy on me. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Mary Lou. This is Helen Plum. When did you hear the news?"

"Um, what news are you talking about, Mrs. Plum?"

Why was she being coy with me?

"It's okay, dear. I am not upset. These things happen and there is nothing wrong with it. I might actually be looking forward to it happening again." She giggles a little.

"Oh no! I think that Johnny forgot his lunch. I have to go, Mrs. Plum. You have a nice day."

She hangs up on me. It must be bad if she won't talk to me about it. I call that nice Connie Rossoli and she answers cheerfully.

"Listen, Connie. This is Helen Plum. Can you tell me when you heard the news and how many people you think know about it?" She gasps.

"You know?" I was there, of course I know.

"Yes, dear. I know and I am not ashamed or anything. I think it is wonderful." She starts breathing heavily.

"Wow, Vinnie needs me. I have to talk to you later, Mrs. Plum."

She hangs up. Wow. My phone rings and it is Ana. She is not getting the recipe from me for the chocolate torte.

"Yes, Ana?" She starts off in Spanish again and I wait patiently. Did she say baby?

"Ana, is someone having a baby?"

"No, Helena. I think there is a need for more babies. Come over to lunch. We got the band together and I want to talk about the centerpieces and the bridal shower."

She is trying to get the venue of the bridal shower to be at her home. I am the mother of the bride! It should be at my home and she knows it!

"Okay, Ana. I will come over. I would love your ideas on having a tent in my backyard for the shower. We can surprise Stephanie."

I hang up before she can reply and grab my purse. Frank already left, so I leave him a note and start my journey to Newark. If she thinks she is going to muscle me out of my bridal shower, she has another think coming!

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

So, ML and Connie called me. They think that my mother knows about Chessie. That is ridiculous. I heard from Gram that Mom and Dad were pretty hot and heavy at Rossini's last night. She even got someone to send her the video.

I reassured the girls that I would tell her today and they hung up relieved. The poor dears. They were good friends. I watched from my skeeball lane as Carlos played a game with a lot of lights and colors with Chessie. He really loves her. He had changed into cargos and a long sleeved tee shirt.

Wyatt went to lunch with Val, so we were on our own with Chessie right now. Cat said that she was leaving to take Lula's pizza to Bobby after we ate. I told her that she was a coward. She laughed and said that I was right. Chessie comes running over to me.

"Stephie! I won and Ricky did not win. He is sad now. Is it time to leave yet?" Yes, but what is the rush?

"Yes, Chessie. Put on your jacket for me, Sweetie." I hand her the jacket and we walk over to Carlos. He is acting like a statue.

"Come on, Carlos. It will not be so bad. We will tell your mother and then she will call my mother and she will have a whole speech ready for me when we get there. You can watch me receive the nagging of a lifetime. It will be like the bad old days."

He cheers right up, the handsome fucker, and we leave to drive to his parents' home. Chessie talks the whole time. She has no idea what is about to happen to us. Poor baby.

At the house, we park in front and take Chessie inside. She is looking around at all of the pictures on the walls. We hear laughing and I freeze. I know that laugh. Carlos pulls me along. We stand in the kitchen doorway where both of our mothers have books, magazines and swatches spread out. They ARE planning my wedding. Chessie breaks the silence.

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

Babe thought it was funny that we came to my mother's home first. Since she promised that I can spank her later, I decided to face this head on. When we saw the wedding paraphernalia all over the kitchen, I know I froze. Both mothers were here. I feel cheated. I was looking forward to Babe getting reamed out a little. Chessie spoke up right away.

"Hola!" They both looked up and gasped.

My mother rushed over while Helen packed away their plans.

"Carlitos and Estefania hello! Who is this baby doll? Are you babysitting or something? Are you hungry, Muneca?"

Chessie does not have a chance to answer because Helen steps forward with a little cup that has a lid and a straw.

"Here is some lemonade, dear. You look thirsty. What is your name? How old are you?"

Chessie took the drink after Babe nodded at her and smiled. "I am Francesca, but you can call me Chessie. I will be four on Saturday and I can get out of handcuffs. Stephie, is this your mommy?"

They move even closer and seem to circle us. Mama stares at Chessie's hair and eyes and back at mine again. She smiles at Chessie and leads her to the island in the middle of the kitchen and helps her into a high backed chair.

"Si, she is Estefania's mother. I am Carlitos' mama. Are you having a birthday party, Muneca?"

Chessie nods and eats the cookie that Mama has given to her. She gets to be called baby doll, while I got stuck with wiggle worm. This is so unfair.

"Carlitos, where did you get this muneca from?" I open my mouth to tell her and Chessie beats me to it.

"He got me from a closet, but it is from a secret mission. We cannot tell you, Abuela."

Mama gasps and gets tears in her eyes.

"I know that means grandmother! Stephanie, are you adopting this beautiful little girl with Carlos?!"

Babe sighs and sits down to eat her own cookie.

"Yes, Ma. Carlos already adopted her. I will adopt her later. She lives with us now."

I watch as they stare at Chessie and whisper to each other.

"Carlitos, we have decided that your wedding will now be on New Year's Eve. You cannot have this poor little Muneca without her Mami for so long."

"Mama, you promised to let us plan our own wedding. We are not engaged yet. Give us time." She waves me off and starts showing Chessie pictures of the other kids.

"Stephanie, she is adorable. I cannot wait for Hershey to meet her, and the girls, too. You have to let me take her tomorrow. She can go with me on my errands. I will even let that nice Cal come along. Do you like donuts, Chessie?"

Who is Hershey? Oh, right. The puppy she got. Chessie nods and Babe looks as helpless as I feel. Every time I move to get close to Chessie, one of them blocks me. They are excellent goalies. I am plotting a way to leave when my father shows up.

"Ana, I am hungry. You promised if I stayed out of the cocina, you would bring me a sandwich. Where is my sandwich? Hello, Helena. Good luck with the shower. Hello Estefania, you are wonderful. Ricardo, it is nice to see that you remember your home. Who is this little Princesa?"

"I am Francesa, but you can call me Chessie. Ricky is my daddy. Are you Ricky's daddy? You are big like him. Can you shoot a gun? I have two guns and a knife! Do you want a cookie?"

Papa laughs and picks her up and takes his plate and Chessie and leaves the kitchen. I am never getting out of here.

"Now, Carlos. How do you feel about an evening wedding, maybe right before the countdown? We could do fireworks or something, too? I know you like black, so what about adding silver?" As she talks, Helen measures me.

"Helen, I will agree to your wedding date. We do not want a big frilly wedding. Let us get engaged first. Who is planning the engagement party?"

They both gasp and turn back to their plans. I take Babe's hand and she grabs two more cookies and we leave to find Chessie. These women would be the death of me.

We find Chessie with Papa in the living room. She is sitting on his lap and playing with his hair.

"And then he gave me shots! So, do you have stuff that can make him itch?" Papa laughs.

"I am sure that Ricardo can help you with that, Princesa. You are so pretty. It looks like it is time for you to go, but I will see you at Joaquin's party on Wednesday. We will have fun. Maybe Estefania will let you help her to bake some pies." He is shameless.

"Okay, abuelo. Thank you for showing me your guns. They are too big to put on a belt. See you later!" She kisses his cheek and he nods at me and winks at Babe.

We drive back to the building in mostly silence. We reach the lobby and Frank is waiting for us. I sigh and watch as he approaches Chessie.

"Hello, Cutie Pie. I am your grandpa Frank. Your name is almost like mine. Do you like hockey? I can teach you to throw darts if you want. We can ride in my cab on Wednesday morning. I will be here to pick you up, okay? I already made the boys update your schedule. I have to get one of those car seats anyhow. Here is a hat to wear when we go out."

It said "My grandpa is the best". He babbled like Chessie. At least I would never run out of babysitters. He hugged her and promised to have a present for her on Wednesday and told her to call him if she wanted to talk about fishing. Babe snapped pictures of him with Chessie with his phone and he left.

I let Chessie meet Jack and she insisted that he frisk her and he gave her a security badge. We went back to my office where I let her use the bathroom and told her it was nap time. She smiled at me and climbed into my lap.

"Ricky! You got me two abuelas and two abuelos! I saw the pictures of my new friends! I have a family! Thank you!" She hugged me and I blinked back tears. I am a badass. I will not cry. I rubbed her back.

"Anything for you, mija." She laid on my chest and went right to sleep. I put her on the sofa and covered her with the throw. Cat peeked inside and looked at her watch.

"That was sweet. I will update the schedule with her naptime. See you later, Ricardo." Do they have cameras in here?

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

My phone was ringing and I answered it in my office. "Yo."

"Hello, Baby Granddaughter. I heard about little Frankie. I talked to Manny and that nice Hal and they are coming to bingo with us and bringing her on Thursday. Hector made us a secure website so we can see her schedule since there were so many calls about her. You have to answer three questions and have a password. I am the secret keeper for our crew. I saw her pictures and she is adorable."

I smile and look at the new picture on my desk of me and Chessie. Hector works fast.

"Thanks, Gram."

"Now, did you hear about your parents getting hot and heavy at Rossin's last night? I did not know that Helen had it in her, but I guess she is finally letting her Hungarian hormones out. She had been repressing them for so long. I hope Frank takes vitamins." Ew.

"Gram, change the subject, please." I look up when I see that Wyatt has cleared his throat for the fourth time. What was his deal?

"So anyway, I am looking forward to tonight. Me and Bernie Faldetti have been practicing our Charleston."

"Gram, I have to let you go now. I have to handle something." She laughs.

"Chickie, go easy on the Package. See you later." She hangs up. Great. She thinks I am about to have sex. If only.

"What is wrong, Wyatt?" He hands me the office phone.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Stephanie. This is Joe Morelli. I wanted to set up a time for a security survey at my home. Can you schedule that for me? I am available tomorrow before 9am and after 5:30pm." I glare at Wyatt who looks helpless.

"Sure, Joe. I can have two of the guys come over tomorrow morning at about 8am. The survey should not take long. Do you have any major concerns?"

"Actually, I wondered if you would not mind coming as well. I definitely want one of those key fobs." I sigh inwardly.

"Fine, I can come with the guys, Joe. We will see you at 8am. Thank you for calling and did you complete the questionnaire with Wyatt?"

"Yes, he has all of my information. See you tomorrow, Stephanie." I hang up. That was creepy.

"Isn't that the guy, Steph?" I nod at Wyatt.

"Okay. We are sending Cat with you and Hector. I will be there of course. If he tries something, he is going down."

I smile at his protectiveness and get started on the background searches that are in my in bin. I would worry about tomorrow later. I had work to finish and a party to prepare for.

At 5pm, I go in search of Chessie only to find Hector. He hands me a slip of paper and I see that it is the logon information for the site he created. I go to the apartment and log on using my laptop as I sit on the sofa.

Chessie is hanging with Cal in the gym to learn to climb ropes and she is having dinner with Jacob and Zip before they drop her at the rec room and then to Ellas for dessert and a movie. Ella also has bedtime until midnight when she has scheduled us to pick her up.

I sent a text to Ella about the cake I baked for Chessie and she texts back that she already picked it up. Great. I will not see her until it is time to tuck her into bed. Carlos comes into the apartment and flops down next to me.

"They took her away, Babe. They said that she has a schedule. She kissed me and skipped away. I want her back." I straddle his lap.

"Carlos. We have to get ready for the benefit and we have to take a shower."

I kissed him deeply and he started to undress me. When his lips covered my nipple, I moaned and arched into him. My hands were holding his head in place.

"Si, Estefania. Te amo." I moaned again. I love his accent.

"I love you, too. Come on. We can finish this in the shower." He carries me to the bedroom and we undress. The phone rings before we can get into the shower.

Carlos answers it. He does not talk long and he meets me under the spray.

"That was Abuela Rosa. She said she is coming back up here on Wednesday and she said that she has a present for you. I bet you it is her wedding gown, Babe." I massaged his shoulders.

"Stop fighting it, Carlos. They are happy for us. We could have feuding parents, but we have ones that get along." He scowls.

"This is worse, Babe! They will always plot together. We have to stay one step ahead of them." I giggle and sink to my knees. I know what will cheer him up.

After a languid shower, I dress in my costume and wait for Carlos to complain. He does not, but when I see him in that loose black shirt that reveals some of his muscled chest, I think my panties evaporated. Maybe we could stay home. The guys and Ella have Chessie until midnight.

"No, Babe. We have to go. You look beautiful. Promise not to dance with anyone but me?" I kiss him gently.

"No, but I promise not to leave with anyone but you. Let's go and say goodbye to Chessie."

We find her playing air hockey against Tank and it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. She is standing on a chair. There is a crowd of the guys cheering for her. She sees us and stops playing. Jack helps her down. I think that Zero replaced him on desk duty. She runs over to us.

"Hey Stephie! I am making more friends and I am learning to climb a rope! Tank played with me and he did not let me win. You look pretty. Are you going to the grown up party now with Ricky?"

"Yes, Chessie and so is Lester and Cat. Tank needs to get changed so he can pick up Jenna." Tank looks at the clock and fluffs Chessie's hair and runs out of the room.

"Okay, Stephie. Have fun. I will be with Ella. She showed me the cake you baked for me. You are so nice." I kissed her cheek and Carlos hugged her for a long time.

"Be good, mija. Call me if you need me, okay?" She was eyeing the sword he was wearing.

"Okay. Hey Ricky, can I have a sword?" He laughs and shakes his head,

"You have a knife, mija. No swords, yet. I will see you later." He puts her down and she runs over to Hal and Max. We make our escape and drive to the benefit.

Once we get inside of the VFW, which has been transformed into a dungeon type place, we see many of my friends. I wave at Eddie and Shirley Gazarra who are dressed like Raggedy Ann and Andy. I see Mary Lou and Lenny. They are dressed like Robin Hood and Maid Marian.

Connie is here with Ram and she is dressed like Maria on West Side Story and he looks like Tony. He has a jacket to cover his weapons. I spot a sparkly Gram and tell Carlos that I am going to talk to her. She is holding court with a whole group of sparkly ladies her age. Lord help us. She has a halter top on.

"Hey Gram! You look nice." She spins around and I see an older gentleman is watching her every move.

"Thanks, Stephie. I want you to meet Bernie, my date. He still has all of his own teeth." I wave and smile and hug Gram before I move onto the next group. My mother is talking to several ladies and they are passing around photos. She is dressed as a gypsy. Way to go, Ma.

"Stephanie, hello. I was just telling the ladies about Chessie. She said that Carlos saved her or something, but it is all very hush hush. I am taking her around tomorrow, so you all can meet her then. She is almost four and she is delightful with her little guns. Is she allergic to anything, Stephanie?"

"I don't know, Ma. I know that she got her immunizations today." She hands me a card.

"You need a dentist for her, Stephanie. This is the number to the dentist I set up the girls with. He is very friendly."

I take the card and hug Ma. I go in search of Carlos, but I am waylaid by Joyce Barndhart. She is dressed as a naughty Snow White. Okie dokie.

"Hello, Stephanie Plum. Tell me the truth. Did I make Joe Morelli gay?" I want to laugh a little bit, but I will be nice.

"No, Joyce. I think it was always inside of him. I am sure that it was nothing that you did." She sighs with relief.

"I was starting to get a complex about it. I have decided to only date men that do not live in the Burg. I need a little outside perspective. I heard about the kid Manoso adopted. Tough break. Kids are a hell no to me." I smile at her and I do not say what I am thinking.

"I actually like her, Joyce. Your costume is really great. I will see you around."

I move away from her quickly and come upon Lula who is dressed like a devil in a red catsuit and a headband that has horns on top of it. It is lowcut in the front, but not too low. The costume really shows off her figure. Her hair is loose and curly. She looks amazing.

"Wow, Lula. You look awesome!" She grins and takes a cocktail shrimp from a waiter.

"Girl, you know Lula knows how to show off the assets! I am so glad that you told yo momma about that baby girl. She been showing everybody that stands still the pictures and your daddy ain't no better. Did you know that Doctor Bob liked me? Girl, he brought me some pizza today and we got to talkin. Who knows, I might let him give me CPR later. We can take it slow. Lula ain't a ho no more."

I laughed at her. "Lula, he needs a friend. Chessie does not like him because he gave her shots. He is a nice guy. Go easy on him." She smacks my arm.

"Look who's talking! I think Batman needs a V8 or something."

I follow her gaze and see Carlos. He does look a little tired. He is dancing with Connie, who is a really good dancer. She is killing Ram. Carlos spins Connie away from him and she spins right into Ram's arms. They continue the salsa dance.

Carlos walks over to me and kisses my neck and wraps his arms around me from behind. "We need to find our table, my love, so we can eat."

"Dayum, Girl! How do stand it? Can he wield that sword? I would let him carve his initials on my vajayjay if I was you, Girl. Whew! Where is the doctor when you need him?"

She looks around and I giggle. She did not lie. Carlos is very sexy. "See you later, Lula." She waves and goes in search of Bobby.

"I have called Tia Ella to check on Chessie, Babe. She said that she was dancing around and watching the Blues Brothers. She also said to stop bothering her." I kiss him.

"Hey, she is fine. There is a whole building full of people that will protect her, Carlos."

"I miss her, Babe." I love emotional Carlos. He was not showing all of those expressions or anything because he has an image to uphold, but I could see it in his eyes.

"What if she convinces them to let her go to the gun range? She is very persuasive, Babe." I hug him and kiss him again.

Cat and Lester walk up and she is dressed like Catwoman, ha ha, and Les is Superman.

"Chica, I called to check on Chiquita and Ella said if I do not leave her alone, she will cut me off for a week. Do you think that she is okay?"

I sit down and let Carlos console Cat. Suddenly there is a big commotion and the crowd parts. It is time for me to leave. Joe Morelli and his date just showed up dressed like Batman and Robin. I text Carlos as I race to head off Lula, who looks like she is about to burst. She will not be able to hold it in. I grab her and pull her outside with me. Once we are in the parking lot, she howls laughing.

"Whoo! Girl, why did he do that to me? He even has a utility belt! Oh my Jesus!"

She is bent over having her fit and I try hard not to join in with her. Connie comes stumbling up to us.

"Geez, he is killing me, Steph. I have to go back in there. I told Ramsey that I would be back. Oh man, he is dressed like Batman. I think it may be a snub of Ranger."

Lula shakes her head. "You need glasses, Connie. Morelli is Robin. His date is Batman."

Connie loses it and she falls to the ground laughing. Carlos texts me to come back inside and I text him okay.

"Come on, girls. We can do this. Wipe your faces." We stop by the ladies' room and catch up with Mary Lou who is still giggling.

"This is the best night ever!" Gram comes out of a stall, fixing her headpiece.

"You girls would never make good spies. I got it on video. I will post it later. The nerve of that man! Come on, girls. Let's hit it."

We go back to our tables and Carlos kisses me immediately. "I love you, but if you had left me here, I would have really punished you, Querida. You missed it when your mother and his mother hugged him and exclaimed over their costumes, Babe. Lester posed for pictures with them. He made Cat pose, too. He said they were the Justice League. My stomach hurts from holding in my laughter."

"At least you are no longer worried about Chessie." He smiled a dangerous smile.

"Nope, because I am adding another rule tonight, Babe. No leaving me at a party. Those women swarmed me! I have cards for babysitters, doctor's offices, playdates and even photographers." I laugh and eat my dinner. This is so much fun. And I am still getting spanked later!

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

I am so fucking tired. I had wanted Babe so badly, that I pushed my exhaustion aside. She screams so loud when I pleasure her. I made sure that we changed the sheets and Babe went right to sleep.

It is 2345. I have on my camo pajamas and I knock on Tia Ella's door. She opens it and I see Chessie is sitting in her little robe and lady bug pajamas. Her hair is in a ponytail and she is staring at the clock. When she sees me, she runs up to me. I stoop to pick her up.

"Ricky! You came back!" I still do not mind that she does not call me Papi or Daddy. She knows that I am her Papi now.

"Hello, mija. Did you have fun?" She hugs my neck tightly.

"I had fun, Ricky. I was waiting for you to come. Ella made an alarm for me." I look at Tia Ella.

"She went to sleep at 9pm only if I promised to wake her up when it was time for you to get her."

I kiss my little girl on the forehead. "I missed you, too, mija. Come on. Let's get you settled in bed." She waves at Tia Ella and I take her to our apartment.

"Ricky, I want to sleep with you again, please." No problem, mija.

I take her to the bathroom and get her settled into the bed. She kisses Babe and kisses me. Max lets her cuddle with him and she goes to sleep. I smile at the peaceful expressions on Babe's and Chessie's faces. I love both of my girls. I watch both of them sleep for a few minutes, before I give up and go to sleep myself. This was a long day, but a good one.


	33. Chapter 33

**I do not own JE's characters. I just like playing with them.**

 **A/N: My muse fluctuates and this story came out of me trying a twist. I wish I could have a do-over like this sometimes, but I guess I will just make it good for Steph and Ranger.**

 **This fic is a little slow moving as is their relationship. Sometimes, the buildup is better. I am trying to show a new Ranger and a new Steph.**

 **Bear with me and my silly sense of humor. The rating is earned for some language.**

 **Thanks for your messages! Please read and review.**

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

Max wakes me up and I see that Chessie is not here. I shake Carlos. He rolls over on top of me and kisses me. "Good morning, my love."

I smile at him. "Yes, yes. Good morning. Take Max out for me. I have to check on Chessie and get her ready to go to the gym before Cat shows up and steals her from me."

I shove him away after two more kisses and scramble out of the bed. I look in her room and she is singing in front of the mirror.

"He had it coming. He had it coming. He only had himself to blame. I didn't do it. But if I done it. I betcha you would have done the same."

She is stomping her little feet and she has a mean expression on her face and she is aiming her gun.

"Chessie, Sweetie?" She turns away from the mirror and smiles at me.

"Heyyy Stephie! You sleep long! So, I had to pee and I came to my bathroom and then I remembered the song and I wanted to sing it!"

I sighed. She was an early riser and she watched Chicago. "Chessie, why did you watch Chicago?"

She walks over to me and puts up her arms. I pick her up and she kisses my cheek.

"Stephie, I told Tia Ella that I wanted to watch a jail movie with women. They are badass, Stephie."

I decide to leave it alone. "Chessie, you cannot kill someone. Jail is not really about singing songs."

She smiles at me. "I know! First we watched Orange is the New Black."

I am not letting Ella babysit anymore. Honestly, she is only three—almost four.

"Come on and get changed, Sweetie. We are going to the gym and then you will come back for your shower and then my mother is taking you with her for the morning. What Rangemen do you want to go with you, Chessie?"

"Oh, right. Well, Manny and Hector said that if they go, they will teach me how to be sneaky and how to open a lock. But, Cal said that he can teach me to swim. It is too cold to swim right now, so I guess that Manny can come and Hal because he said that he will take me to the park to play with Max."

I am amazed that she is already working them. I help her to change into a little tee shirt and shorts and her sneakers. She insists that she wears her guns and I leave her in the living room with a little mini muffin and some chocolate milk and the television on Sesame Street.

I change into shorts and a tee shirt over my sports bra and I am ready to go to the gym. Before I can escape the bedroom, the phone rings. I answer it on my way to the living room and Carlos comes into the apartment without Max. He passed the buck! I will smack him.

"Hello?"

"Estefania? Is it true?" Oh, no.

"Good morning, Woki. Is what true?"

I know, but I need to know if he is alright with it.

"Did you get a little girl and did Tio Ric adopt her and she has guns? Does she like superheroes, Estefania?" Phew!

"Yes to all of that. She likes Mrs. Smith, Woki. Why are you whispering?"

"Because, I took the phone from my daddy and I am hiding in the closet. Your number is number seven. He told me before. What is her name, Estefania and do you still love me?"

He is so adorable. "Her name is Francesca and she likes to be called Chessie. Yes, I still love you, Woki."

He sighs. The poor baby.

"Daddy told Mommy about the little girl last night. He said that Abuelo told him that she is cute and she talks a lot. They talk like I was not in the room, so I listened. Will she like me, Estefania?"

"Yes, Woki. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Si!"

I hand the phone to Chessie, who is glaring at Cookie Monster. What did he do to her?

"Chessie, telephone." She takes the phone and I listen to her side of the conversation.

"Hello. Hi. Yes. Oh that is cool. I will come to the party, but you must come to mine. It is on Saturday. Do you have a gun? I have two and a knife. I know, but you can ask Hector or Cat. They like knives. Really? No, I do not want to be a princess. Si, I like Maxi. You SHOULD get a dog. Ok. I have to go to the gym with Stephie. Yes, we are friends. Bye, Keen!"

She hands me the phone. Woki sounds upbeat now. "Estefania, I have to go. Daddy is calling me! I love you! Thank you for my new friend!" He hangs up. That was nice.

"Come along, Chessie. Why do you not like Cookie Monster?" She lets me hold her hand. I wave to Carlos and she blows him a kiss.

"Stephie, he is a stealer! People were just sitting there with their cookies and he comes up and takes them and eats them! He should go to jail!"

We get on the elevator and it stops at the second floor without us pressing a button.

"Chessie, wave to the camera."

We wave and go into the gym.

"So, what do you want me to do, Stephie?"

Cal solves that by coming over.

"Hello, Miss Chessie. Hello, Bombshell. Chessie, do you want to do exercise with the videos with me?"

She smiles and follows him. Lucky little girl. I get on the treadmill. A few minutes later, Carlos gets onto the one next to me.

"Babe, why are you irked with me? I know I was a little rough last night, but I had really missed you."

I look over at him. Damn, he looks good. How can he think this is about sex? How can he think that I can have a chat while I am running? I slow down my machine and turn to him.

"Carlos, I am not irked because of our sex life. I am irked that you did not walk the dog. You passed the buck. I am also irked that Chessie is obsessed with jail movies and Ella let her watch Chicago. She does not like Sesame Street because she said Cookie Monster has to go to jail. I am mostly irked that my mother is going to show her off to the Burg today. She is not a trophy!"

I turn back to my machine and correct the speed and run until I think I am about to die and then I stop it. I ran 11 miles. Go me. Now if I could only find my left lung; that would be great. I was standing there trying to breathe, when I saw Chessie doing 'Move Your Body' with the guys.

She was so cute, and she apparently wanted to be a cop when she grew up in addition to a spy. I know she wants to jump off of a building, too. She really does need two guards today. She finished her workout and let the guys shake her hand. One guy tried to hug her and handed her a bottle of water that he opened for her. She backed away from him twice before drawing her gun and shooting him in the crotch. She glared at him and walked away.

I met her halfway. "Chessie, what is wrong?"

She huffs and looks at the Rangeman that I honestly do not recognize. I thought I knew all of the guy's names.

"I do not know that guy and he handed me a drink that is already opened, Stephie. He tried to hug me. He is bigger than me. He could knock me out or steal me or something. I got a weird feeling about him, and then I shot him."

I picked her up and we walked over to Carlos, who was sulking at the elliptical machine.

"Carlos, who is that guy over there with the dirty blonde hair?"

He looks at him and shakes his head.

"I think he is a contract worker, Babe. Check with Tank." I should smack him.

"Chessie does not like him. She said he gives her a weird feeling and he tried to hug her. None of the other guys tried to hug her, Carlos. She shot him because he would not back off. "

His expression changes and he shuts off the machine.

"I will handle it, Babe. Good job, mija. Do not leave without saying goodbye to me, okay?"

She finally smiled. "Okay, Ricky." I carried her out of the gym without looking back. We had showers to take and Chessie had to the Burg and I had Morelli this morning. Why me?

* * *

 **Ranger POV**

I did not think it was such a big deal that I let Hal walk the dog. I have a feeling that Babe is mostly worried about Chessie going with her mother today. I will have two guys on her. I am worried, too. She is my little girl and she does not like this guy, Weiss. I walk over to him and he is rubbing his thigh. She got him!

"What is your interest in Chessie, Weiss?"

He looks up at me with a smile.

"I like little girls."

No this fucker did not just say that to me.

"What?" He smiles again.

"That sounded creepy didn't it? Sorry, man. I have 2 year old twin daughters, but my ex will not let me see them. They have hair like mine, but it is curly. I just wanted to be nice to little Chessie. I think I scared her. I did not mean to. I just miss my daughters is all."

That is a relief. I thought I was going to have to kill this man. "Weiss, we have lawyers here. Use them. You should be able to see your kids."

He looks at me like I am Santa Claus. "Does this mean that you are hiring me on full time? As a temp worker, I do not have benefits." Dammit!

I look at Tank and he nods and so does Bobby. Lester gives me a thumbs up.

"Yes, Weiss. Go to Rodriguez in HR and I will tell Chessie what you told me. She is a little jumpy and it is not easy for her with so many new people. She will come around."

He shakes my hand. "Thanks, man. She is so adorable, though with her little guns. She shot me! I think she is great. Tell her I know how to jump out of planes."

"Hell no. I told her she cannot learn that until she is 10. Find something else to teach her. She likes cards and board games. Do that with her. I have to go."

I leave the gym and go to the apartment. Chessie is waiting on the sofa in a denim pleated skirt with dark green tights and a dark green blouse and a brown jacket. She has brown furry boots on that come to her shins. She is wearing her guns and her hair is in a high ponytail. I see that she has sunglasses perched on top of her head as well, her backpack is next to her, and she is listening to an Ipod and singing.

"I don't think you ready for this jelly. I don't think you ready for me. My body's too bootylicious for you, baby!" She is really adorable.

I tap her on the shoulder and she turns off her music. "Heyyy Ricky! Where is my kiss?"

I lean over and kiss her cheek.

"Did you talk to the creepy guy? Why would he try to hug me? I do not even know his name? Is he a stealer? Does he want to take me away, Ricky?"

I sit next to her. "No, mija. He just wanted to be nice to you and he said he is sorry for making you feel scared. He misses his little girls. He said they are two years old. He promised to play connect four or something with you later. His name is Weiss. Are you okay?"

She smiled at me and got on her knees next to me and kissed my cheek again.

"Yes, I am okay. So, Ricky. Cookie Monster is a stealer. He takes cookies from people. That is not fair. I do not want to watch that anymore if he is not going to jail. Can you tell Stephie that I can watch Chicago? I like the songs and it is girls in jail that have guns and a knife!"

Dios! "Chessie, baby. I will talk to Babe. You wait right here. We will have breakfast when Tia Ella brings it. Do not leave the apartment, mija."

"Okay, Ricky!"

She turns her music back on and starts singing again. I go in search of Babe and find her dressing identically to Chessie. That skirt is short. Before I can say anything, Cat comes into the bedroom. She is also dressed like Babe and Chessie.

"I will cut you! Ella is also mad, Chica. How could you do this to us? This means we have the rest of the week. I will meet you downstairs at 0730 for the appointment with the pendejo. Batman and Robin indeed."

She stomps away and I see that Babe is laughing. "What was she talking about, Babe?"

She kisses me and I almost lose my train of thought. "She wanted to dress Chessie, but I guess Lester had her occupied. I have to feed her breakfast and I already packed her bag. Hurry up, Sexy."

She kissed me again and damn I want her. I took my shower and dressed in dark blue cargos and a matching button down with my boots.

In the dining room, Chessie is eating oatmeal with peaches in it and Babe is eating a waffle with whipped cream on top. I give her a look and she ignores me.

"Ricky, did you tell her?" Oh, right.

"Babe, Chessie does not like Sesame Street. Can she please still watch Chicago? She already saw people die in Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

She opens her mouth and closes it. She glares at me, but smiles at Chessie. "Okay, Sweetie. I want you to promise not to try to kill anyone, though. If you get scared, you press your panic button and scream fire."

Chessie nods and eats her turkey sausage and drinks her juice.

"Thank you, Stephie. You have the same clothes like me! Tia Ella gave me a lunch that she put into my bag. Ricky, Keen is my new friend! I need a present for him, so can I use my money?"

Dios, did she still have that money in her backpack?

"Chessie, please let me see your backpack. I think that we should leave your money here so no one can steal it. We can put it into the safe. You can take $25 with you to buy Joaquin a present. How is that?"

She looks up from her juice and the Dr. Seuss book she is reading. "Okay. I need to talk to Hector before I leave. Can I have a phone, Ricky?"

I was prepared for this one. I handed her a durable cell phone. "My number is number one, mija. Babe is number 2." She giggles.

"No. Make her number three. No one should be number 2, Ricky." Kiddie humor. Babe smiles at her. I take the phone back and make the change.

"Rangeman is number 4, Chessie. Anybody at Rangeman can help you, okay?"

She nods. "Will Keen get a phone, too? He needs a puppy, Ricky." I smile at her. Celia is getting Woki a puppy today.

"He will get a phone, mija. Put your phone into your jacket pocket. Call me if you need me, okay? Tell Manny and Hal of you have a problem."

She studies the phone. "Okay, Ricky." Just then, her phone rings and she answers it.

"Si, this is Dragon. Quien es? Oh, hello Jack! Okay. I will be down in a minute. Tell her to sit down. Okay. bye!" She hangs up and wipes her face. She gets out of her seat and runs to me and kisses me.

"I love you, Ricky. It is time for me to go. Can you tell Hal and Manny?" I hug her a little longer and nod at her. Babe gets up and grabs her bag and her phone and walks to the door.

"I love you, too Carlos." I hug her.

"I know, Babe. Do not worry. She will have two guys on her."

She sighs and leaves with Chessie. I go to have the morning meeting. Babe, Cat, Wyatt and Hector will not be there. They are going to Morelli's. He had better not try anything.

* * *

 **Helen POV**

I got to the building and I called that sweet Calvin to let me in. He carried the bags that I brought with me. They are so chivalrous. Once I was in the lobby, I gave that nice Jack a muffin. He smiled so big. These boys just love a mother's touch.

Today, I am wearing a denim dress and my brown boots. My hair is back on a loose bun and I have on my matching brown jacket. Jack called little Chessie and told me to have a seat and she would be right down. I am so excited to have another little grandbaby to spoil! The elevator dings and she steps off with Stephanie. Wow. We are kind of dressed alike. She sees me and runs over.

"Hello, Granny. Do you have the password?" I look at Jack and he smiles.

"The password for today is fire, Chessie." She smiles at me.

"You are right. Okay, Stephie. I am leaving now. Have fun today and I will see you when I get back."

She hugs Stephanie and Stephanie waves at me. She has not said a word. She must be nervous, the poor dear. Manny and Hal come off of the elevator and we leave. They help me to settle Chessie into her seat and they offer to drive so I can talk to Chessie in the back seat. That is a nice idea, so we take their Explorer.

"I wanted to stop and get churros this morning and then we can eat them and I have to pick up dry cleaning and to go to the market. Is that alright, boys?"

They smile and nod at me. "Granny, I have to find a present for my friend Keen. His birthday is tomorrow. I have money. Can we buy him something? I already talked to Hector and he will get him a knife. That is part of the present." She is so cute!

Sure, Chessie. We can go to Walmart and find him a present. Maybe a movie or something. We got out of the car at the Tasty Pastry and people were staring at us. Whatever. Mother was here, so she came strolling up to us.

"Good morning, Helen. Is this the new grandbaby? Hello, Miss Frankie! I am Edna and I am Helen's mother. You can call me Gram. I like those guns. Do you want to play bingo with me on Thursday?"

Chessie looks at Mother with a raised eyebrow. I lean over and whisper the password to her and she whispers it to Chessie who smiles.

"Sure, Gram. You have to tell Hector about my schedule. Do you have a gun?"

Mother pulls a huge gun out of her bag and holds it in the air. People scream and hit the floor. Poor Katrina just stares at us.

"She is not robbing you, dear. She is just excited to show off her gun. Mother, give that gun to Manuel right now!" She hands it over and he takes out the bullets. Honestly!

"Shut your pie hole, Helen and live a little. No one got hurt. I did not aim it at anyone. So, yes Frankie, I have a gun. I will see you later, Cutie. Bye boys!" She pinches poor Hal on his rear end on her way out the door.

"Gram is funny! We are next, Granny."

I buy the churros and keep apologizing to Katrina. She waves me off like it is nothing. She is such a nice girl. We eat our churros and I wipe Chessie's hands. At the market, I put Chessie into my cart and I explain my list to her. We shop in contentment, only stopping to say hello to people who all exclaim over how pretty Chessie is. We are almost to the checkout counter when we were accosted by Shirley Gazzara. Great. She is such a gossip.

"Helen, hello! Who is this cutie pie?" She says it to Chessie, but I notice she gets this blank expression on her face like the boys do when they are working.

"This is Carlos' daughter. I am watching her for the day, Shirley. She is a little shy and she does not talk to strangers." There I told her something, but not all of the details.

Shirley stares at Chessie. "Do you mean he had a daughter all of this time and did not tell Stephanie?"

I want to smack her and Chessie takes out her water gun. I better wrap this up. "No, Shirley. He adopted this darling girl recently. Stephanie loves her. Well, we must be going now. You have a great day."

We move up in line and I see that the boys have added more cake mix and icing to the cart. They are so silly acting. We pay and take the groceries to the house. Chessie walks around and looks at pictures and bounces on the couches. I take her to the bathroom and we head out to the dry cleaners and the deli.

Nothing happens at the cleaners, but in the deli, I am faced with Bella Morelli. She approaches me while I am asking Chessie's opinion of the chicken or the fish for dinner tonight. She chose chicken wings. She said they are fun, so I get chicken wings. While Maria is weighing them, Bella is chanting.

"Bella, why are you chanting at me?" She glowers at me.

"You turned my daughter in law into a scarlet woman! She sees this Reed man all of the time now and I am sick of it. It is all your fault! He is not even Italian!"

I know, he is a nice mixed race gentleman. He is part black and part white. He is our age and he is a widower. He actually lives near Ana and Ricardo and he plays poker with Ricardo sometimes. He and Bella really hit it off.

"It is not like they will have babies together, Bella. Why do you care that he is not Italian? He is also not a wife beater or an alcoholic. You need to calm down."

"I cannot stand your daughter! It is her fault that my Joey will not have children! She told all of the women that he was small and he had to date a man! And his house!"

I have no idea what she is talking about. How can it be Stephanie's fault that Joseph is not well endowed? What about his house? I just saw him last night and he was smiling at everyone, even Stephanie.

Bella does not like that I am not arguing with her, so she takes it physical. She shoves me and we fall into the tower of cans of creamed corn and it falls down around us. Some people have no manners at all. I push her off of me and avoid her bony arms as she tries to slap me. I am helped to my feet by Manuel and Hal is trying to get Chessie to stop shooting Bella with blue paint pellets. I walk over to her.

"It is alright, Chessie. I am okay now. You can stop shooting her. We need to take this meat home and then we can have lunch, okay?"

She glares at Bella. "You leave my granny alone lady or I will get you!"

I pay for my purchases and the boys fix the display for Maria. She thanks them and we leave. My phone is ringing before I get into the car.

"Hello?"

"Helen, did you really get knocked over in the store and Chessie shot Bella Morelli?"

"Yes, Carlos. She is very protective. I am alright, though. The boys helped me immediately and I got Chessie to stop shooting. We are headed to my house now."

He sighs. "Okay. It has been a rough morning, that's all."

What is he talking about?

"Are you alright, Carlos? Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"Yes. I am on my way. Thank you."

The poor dear. He is probably just worried about Chessie. She is singing and dancing in her little seat, so I remain quiet the rest of the way to the house. Maybe Carlos could use a strong cup of tea? He did just get home from wherever he was. He needs to relax. I notice the air near my home smells a little smoky. What is that about?

* * *

 **Stephanie POV**

"Chica, I am telling you. This man does not really like you. He wanted to possess you, remember? He is not to be trusted. Do not take his food or anything. Do not sit on the furniture. I have your back."

I nod at Cat. We had all decided to park a block away and we were walking to Morelli's house. I noticed that his cars were missing. Where was he if he is the one that made the appointment? We stood across the street studying his home. It was painted yellow and white and it was detached. He had a nice size yard in the front and in the back, too. Behind us, a neighbor spoke to us.

"Hello there, Stephanie Plum. Do you remember me? It's Mrs. Miller from pre-K"

I smile at her and we all gather on her porch. I always liked Miss Eva. That is what we called her. I think her name is Evangeline. That was too long for us back then. She has not aged much it seems. Black people do not really get wrinkles.

Her skin is a cinnamon color and her hair is light brown and she has it in a long French braid. She was young when I was in pre-K so she must be almost 60 by now. She is as spry as ever and she is about my height. She quickly sets out a plate of churros and gives all of us bottled water.

"So why are you all staring at Joseph's house? He is not home. Plus I thought he moved out yesterday."

"What? He asked us to come and secure the house, Mrs. Miller."

She shakes her head. "No, dear. Monday is my day that I take care of my lawn and such. I was out here in my coat all bundled up. I do my own chores since Charlie passed on in that car accident." I pat her hand and she smiles.

"It's fine. It was five years ago and I get his pension and all. So I was out here most of the morning and I saw everything. Yesterday, there was a parade of men taking boxes and furniture out of that house. They were nice looking and Joseph was with them. He even took the flags off of the roof. I follow Edna on Facebook, so I took a few shots of them for her on my phone. I have not sent them to her yet, though."

I am intrigued by this story. She sips her tea and rocks a little on her porch swing. I want one of those! Wyatt sat right next to her, too. The brown noser.

"He waved to me when he drove away, too and said that he was going to get ready for that party that I heard about. I didn't go. That is not really my scene, but I did donate money to those little Boy Scouts. They should sell cookies like the girls, don't you think?"

"Yes, Mrs. Miller. I think that they should sell cookies."

Hector gets another churro and smiles at Mrs. Miller. I look at Cat and the guys and we all wonder why we were set up.

"I heard tell that you had a very nice looking Zorro for a date and he that he has a little one. So, you know that I babysit now. If you want to leave that sweetie with me, you can, or I can come to you. It's no problem. I love kids."

I smile at the mention of Chessie. Mrs. Miller did have the best snickerdoodles. "Sure, Mrs. Miller. I will keep you in mind. Let me take your number and give you mine."

She beams a smile at me and scurries into the house for a pen and paper and across the street, Morelli's house goes boom. There are flames everywhere. I look at my watch. It is fucking 8:01am. That son of a bitch!

I call Carlos and he answers on the first ring. "Yo." I sigh.

"What's wrong, Babe?"

"We will not be signing up the Morelli account, Carlos."

I see that Cat is calling 911. I nod at her. The fire seems to be centered at the one house. It does not even move to the garage.

"Why not, Babe? Did he make a pass at you or something?"

I sigh. "Nope. We were about to go across the street and knock on his door when his neighbor recognized me and so we sat on her porch talking for the last 10 minutes or so and then his house exploded at 8:01am. We were of course scheduled for 8:00am."

I hear Carlos muttering in Spanish to himself. I continue my mini report. "He also moved out yesterday according to Mrs. Miller, who I think we should hire to hang with Chessie some days instead of daycare. I had her for pre-K and she is awesome. Plus, she is a witness. I bet you Morelli will try to say that we set his house on fire. She has photos in her phone to prove the time and date that he moved out."

Carlos sighs and curses under his breath. "Babe, you are all alright, though right?"

"Yup." That poor pretty yellow house.

"Okay, after you talk to the police and the fire department, bring Mrs. Miller here. She might need a safe house for a few days."

"Okay, Carlos. I love you."

All of this smoke is ruining my outfit, too. I am going to need a shower to wash off this smell.

"I love you, too, Babe."

We hang up and the fire department shows up and the police. I inch over to Mrs. Miller.

"Listen, Mrs. Miller. You are a witness and Morelli might not like that you know that he already moved. Let us have the photos from your phone. That will be proof. We can give it to the Fire chief when he comes to interview us. Let's go and pack you a bag so you can stay with us for a few days. You can meet Chessie after lunch. She is with my mother right now."

"That is fine with me. I live here alone anyway. So can I cook where you are taking me? Tuesday nights are chicken and dumplings nights." Hector moves so quickly, I think that he apparated.

"Let me help you, Mrs. Miller." Wyatt is not to be left out.

"I will help you, too. Do you have many pots to bring? If you give us a list, we will go to the market for you, Mrs. Miller. You should be able to rest. Do you crochet?"

They take her into the house and I shake my head.

Cat walks back over to me. "Chica, that fucker wanted us to either die or get blamed for the fire. He is stupid, though, because we record all of our calls and we have him recorded asking you to come personally. Also, that must have been on a timer. I talked to the fire chief and told him that it was an explosive and it went off at 8:01am. He said that he will come and question us at Rangeman."

I smile at her. "Good call getting us another granny lady. They really hog Ella and your mother has a part time job."

I laugh at her. It takes an hour, but we are able to leave. Morelli never shows up. That is also suspicious. Where the hell is he?

* * *

 **Joe Morelli POV**

I look at my watch. Right about now, that house is going boom and Cupcake is either inside or she looks guilty. I don't want her anymore. That is true, but I owe that bitch. I am pretty sure that she is the one that is behind all of the troubles I have had for the past month.

I know I met Andrew and I do really like him, but paybacks are paybacks. I have insurance on the house anyway, so I am not concerned. I had today off and Andrew had to work. He does not know that I set up the explosives in the house. I did learn a thing or two from the Navy.

I moved in with Andrew yesterday. He lives in Hamilton Township, which is away from the Burg with all of its nosey neighbors. I hate those people, always in your business. Any minute now, they will call me to tell me my house is on fire. I get to have revenge on Cupcake, get out of the Burg and get a nice fat check on top of it. It's good to be me. My phone rings and I answer it. It's show time.

* * *

 **Carlos POV**

I met Mrs. Miller and she was very nice. The guys wanted to swarm her, but she told them to let her get settled and that she had some cooking to do. She walked off with Ella talking about recipes and maybe alternating nights to cook this week since she would be here at least until the weekend.

Babe had rushed to change her clothes and I understood. Hector took Mrs. Miller's phone and sent more guys to pack up her knick knacks and pictures and her kitchen and her clothes. He said he just had a feeling about it. I agreed. If Morelli would set his own house on fire, he would do it to her, too, to keep her quiet.

Hector said that he convinced her to bring all of her important papers and valuables when they packed. My men are good at what they do, so I left them to it.

I had a meeting with Mr. Venkman about his spa. We reviewed his blueprints and he signed the contract. I was just getting settled in my office when Cal called me.

"Yo."

"Boss, at Givenchy's, some lady, I think it is Morelli's granny, shoved Helen to the ground and Chessie is shooting her." I sigh. I am glad that Maria gave us her account.

I called Helen and she invited me to lunch, so I called Babe to let her know I was leaving. The neighborhood smelled like smoke. I parked and knocked on the door. Hal answered and he had a sandwich in his hand. I walk past him into the dining room.

"Hello, Helen. Thank you for inviting me to lunch."

"Nonsense, Carlos! Sit down. Are you alright, dear?"

I nod and look around for Chessie.

"Chessie is eating in the living room. She wanted to watch something with jail in it, so I put on Law and Order. She said that Ella made her a lunch, so I set her up with a mat. She is so sweet, coming to my rescue like that. I do not know what has gotten into Bella Morelli. I have messages to check, too. Do you know anything?"

"Yes, Morelli's house blew up today. He had scheduled a meeting with Babe. She was across the street with Cat and Hector and Wyatt when it happened. If they had been on the porch at the right time instead of talking to a neighbor, they would have been really hurt."

She gasps and sits down. I get up and pour her a glass of iced tea. "You mean it went off when she was supposed to be there?! She could have died! That Bella had the nerve to try to blame my daughter for this? Do you think it was on purpose, Carlos?"

I pat her hand. "If it was, we will handle it, Helen. For the rest of the week, we will have a two guys on your home. Is that alright?"

She smiled at me. "Of course, it is fine. I had a nice time with Chessie today. She is so inquisitive. We did not get a gift for little Woki yet. I was going to have the boys take us to the Walmart and then to the building so I can get my car. Is that alright?"

"Yes, that is fine." I eat my soup and salad and I even have a piece of cornbread before I check on Chessie.

She is watching Law and Order like it is a Disney film. "Hello, mija." She looks at me and smiles and goes back to watching the show. When there is a commercial, she runs over to me.

"Ricky, the guy had to go to jail because he killed someone! Now they have to go to court. I had fun with Granny. She said after I eat, we can go and get Keen a present."

She kisses me and I set her back down so she can watch her show. Now that I know she is alright, I can leave.

"Okay, mija. I will see you soon. Be a good girl." She smiles and waves me off. She really likes this show. I go back to the dining room.

"Helen, I am going to go now. See you later. Men, watch my babygirl. I mean it."

They nod. "Yes, Ranger."

"Hal, wipe your face." He does and I leave.

It is only 1300 hours and I have already had a long day. I cannot believe that pendejo tried to blow up Babe. Morelli had better watch his back, because I was coming after him.


End file.
